For The Wild

We begin this week with reverence for sharks as kin that have inhabited Earth’s waters for 450 million years, an existence that even predates trees. These apex predators embody a deep resilience and commitment to their place in this world, however, like many of the ocean’s inhabitants, sharks cannot handle commercial exploitation at the scale of which global capitalism demands. A demand which is vastly different from subsistence fishing. In conversation with guest Stefanie Brendl, we learn how sharks regulate the ocean’s ecosystem, the ramification of dwindling shark populations, and the many reasons that the market for shark, ray, and skate meat has more than doubled since the early 1990s; ranging from the depletion of other fish stocks to the burgeoning pet food, cosmetic, and wellness industries. Additionally, we explore the United State’s complicity as the 7th largest shark-fishing country in the world and the significance of understanding our own Fisheries Act in context to multilateral treaties like the