The Oceanic Whitetip Shark Species Is Inching Closer to Extinction
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The Oceanic Whitetip Shark Species Is Inching Closer to Extinction

The declining status of Oceanic Whitetip Sharks has forced the US government to declare it as an endangered aquatic species. The falling status of oceanic whitetip shark in the wild has warranted its listing as ‘threatened’ under the Endangered Species Act – an official wing of the US’s federal government.

Regardless of multiple attempts and programs to secure, the numbers of oceanic whitetip sharks are dropping down, resulting in serious concerns among ecologists. The aquatic creature was already classified as a ‘critically endangered species’ being on the brink of death and now to tackle the unmanageable situation, the conservation group Defenders of Wildlife has asked US government for help. The declining status of the shark has raised apprehension and assumptions regarding their complete destruction in next few years.

The shark is currently listed under the Endangered Species Act. The protection group Defenders of Wildlife has urged the government to enlist this soon-to-be-dying-species on the endangered list so that the efforts to conserve it will be boosted. Now the conservation group is trying to secure the rest of the Whitetip sharks by introducing new protected and conservation programs alongside boosting the current missions.

To conjure up, the oceanic whitetip shark is scientifically known as Carcharhinus longimanus. It is a large pelagic funeral song shark, residing in steamy and temperate oceans. The most notable feature of this shark is its long, white-tipped, curved fins stocky body. The shark is extremely aggressive and is believed to be a great threat to shipwreck and air crash survivors.

However, because of its large fins, which worth is extremely high in the commercial markets, the numbers of sharks are plummeting over the years. Many recent studies have put forward the views regarding the dropping number of oceanic whitetip sharks. The large fins of the oceanic whitetip shark are used as a chief ingredient in shark fin soup; the illegal hunting is rising all cross the world. Some of the recent studies also revealed how the population of sharks is steeply descending and venturing close to death.

Now, the oceanic whitetip shark is enlisted under the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In the paper, it is also described as a defenseless aquatic creature. Lora Snyder, the head of the conservation campaign of Oceana claimed that some high-end and additional protections are needed to keep this species protected.