Sharks: feared predator in need of protection

Sharks may elicit less sympathy than elephants or rhinos, but experts say the feared predators are under increasing pressure from unmanaged commercial fishing and desperately in need of further protection. Unregulated fishing and international trade in shark products for human consumption have led to a precipitous drop in numbers. Sharks are slow-growing and slow to reproduce, and the market for their body parts -- especially fins and gill plates -- are driving overfishing.