Livestrong.com offers recipes for several species of shark that are considered threatened or endangered, including the scalloped hammerhead and tiger shark. Livestrong acknowledges this, but still encourages eating these overfished species:
From Tiger Shark recipe: Due to over-fishing and finning, a fishing practice in which sharks are killed only for their fins, tiger sharks are classified as near endangered.
From Scalloped Hammerhead recipe: In many areas it is overfished and has “protected” status, so be sure you catch or purchase your shark legally.
Sharks have been swimming the world’s oceans for more than 400 million years. But today, shark populations are in trouble globally. People kill over 70 million sharks per year.
As many as one-third of all shark species are threatened or endangered, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Evidence shows that actual global catch of sharks may be three to four times higher than the official statistics reported to FAO.
Furthermore, the WHO and the FDA discourage people from eating sharks, as they have one of the highest levels of mercury of fish in the sea. Mercury has been linked with neurological and heart problems, and is also not recommended for pregnant women or children.
Livestrong.com should not encourage eating ANY type of shark.
For a website dedicated to, as Lance Armstrong put it, “changing lives and empowering people to make healthy decisions,” the shark recipe content is unconscionable. There’s nothing healthy, empowering or sustainable about grilling endangered species.
Over a year ago, the Food Network removed all shark meat recipes from their website because of sharks’ conservation status. As the number 2 health site in the U.S. with more than 21 million users, Livestrong.com should follow suit.
Food Network changed their ways in response to a Change.org petition by Jessica Belsky, who wrote: Because shark populations are in such dire straits, there’s no reason for people to be eating these threatened swimmers.
We know a petition can work!
Tell Livestrong.com that you want all shark meat recipes removed from their site, and a policy stating that shark will not be featured as an ingredient on any of their web properties in the future.
