Sharks are widely feared by humans, but, argues Gareth Hughes, it is these fearsome predators of the sea that should be afraid of us.
Sharks are at risk worldwide, and in New Zealand.
They are amazing creatures and fearsome predators, but they don't stand a chance against our industrial fishing fleets and growing demand for shark-fin soup.
Many New Zealanders would be shocked to discover that shark finning - the practice of killing a shark, cutting off its fins and discarding the carcass back to sea - is still legal in New Zealand, despite being illegal elsewhere.
Shark finning is like killing an elephant for its tusks and is grossly wasteful.
Shark-fin soup is a Chinese delicacy that drives the market for shark fins.
Every year, 73 million sharks are killed for their fins alone.
The Chinese hold shark-fin soup in high regard, and serve it at banquets and weddings as a sign of the host's affluence and respect for their guests.
It is also served in Chinese restaurants in New Zealand, and costs $70 a bowl at one Wellington restaurant.
There are claimed (yet repeatedly debunked) health benefits, the soup being touted as improving virility, being beneficial for joints and even curing cancer.
Ironically, high concentrations of mercury in shark fins can lead to impotency.
Sharks are a vital part of the marine ecosystem.
Ruthlessly efficient, they evolved alongside dinosaurs and have held the top position in the aquatic food chain for millions of years.
They live for decades, mature slowly and breed infrequently and in low numbers.
The number of sharks caught annually is unsustainable and some estimates by scientists put the worldwide decline in sharks as high as 90%.
New Zealand isn't in a position to blame other nations for the decline of shark populations because we are ranked in the top 15 of shark-catching nations, alongside Nigeria, Portugal and Iran.
We claim shark finning is acceptable because our species are protected by our quota management system, yet we freely admit we have insufficient data on these species to define sustainable catch limits.
Furthermore, we are international laggards in shark protection.
At present in New Zealand, we legislate for the protection of just two shark species, the great white shark and the basking shark, yet 28 of the 79 shark species caught commercially in New Zealand are listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Shark finning is irresponsible and unsustainable and New Zealand should immediately align our shark policies with those in the rest of the developed world.
The IUCN and the United Nations General Assembly have recommended adopting a fins-naturally-attached approach to shark protection, which would require vessels to keep the whole shark, rather than discarding carcasses at sea.
This approach is realistic, simple to implement, and cheap and easy to enforce, resulting in less strain on our fisheries observers.
In 2008, Nick Smith, now Minister for the Environment, called shark finning abhorrent.
If this Government agrees, it can push forward the NPOA - Sharks (National Plan of Action - Sharks), due to be reviewed in 2012.
Another year of waiting is another 73 million sharks killed, finned and dumped at sea worldwide.
We've moved from hunters to guardians of elephants; now let's do the same with sharks.
If New Zealand adopts international shark-finning guidelines, shark finning, not sharks, is likely to become extinct.
Gareth Hughes is a Green Party member of Parliament.
