shark are becoming so high, they are being directly targeted in various commercial and recreational fisheries throughout the world. Not only are sharks in danger of being targeted by commercial and recreation fisheries, but sharks are all too often captured incidentally with tuna and billfish fisheries. As much as 50% of the reported take of commercial shark fisheries are shark by catch in large scale high seas fisheries (Martin 1985). The number of sharks caught between 1989 and 1991 by various high seas fisheries estimated at 11.6 to 12.7 million (Allen 1999). Most of these by catches were from long line fisheries for tuna of Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), between the early 1970's and late 1980's the abundance of many shark species found along the southeast coast of the U.S. had declined as much as 80% (Martin 1985).Playing a crucial role in their ecosystem, sharks are highly efficient predators that keep ecosystem populations in check by hunting and killing other animals, particularly those that are weak or diseased (Perrine 1999). Therefore, without sharks the population of other animals will increase to unsustainable levels. Despite the fact, that these creatures are needed to maintain the health of the ocean ecosystem, they remain a hot commodity for both commercial and recreational fisherman since the 1980's with millions of pounds hauled in annually for restaurants as well as trophy cases (Perrine 1999). The carcasses of the sharks are prized for their fins, teeth and various parts that are used as a lubricant or in cosmetics and vitamins. However, the amount of sharks being caught has declined by up to 50 percent, because it has become apparent that sharks have become overfished in the last 20 years (Perrine 1999).In an effort to save sharks, the United Nations rendered oversized drift gill-nets illegal, however there is inadequate enforcement and a lack of ov...
