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Move over, National Garden Week! Out of the way, Waffle Week (OK, maybe you can stay). And get off my lawn, all you prevention and awareness weeks. This is the coolest week ever … Shark Week! Catch this (geddit?): The Discovery Channel's Shark Week is back for its 21st year, and I am pumped. When else do you get a whole week of programming dedicated to these pointy-toothed wonders?

Shark Week has another purpose, though, besides just being scary (which it totally is). Shark Week's programs teach viewers that shark populations on the coast of the Eastern U.S. declined by 80 percent in the '70s and '80s because of shark fishing for "sport" and steak.

Sharks are hunted not only because of the high price fetched by their teeth, jaws, and fins but also because of their reputation as human-killers.

True, an average of 10 humans die each year because of shark attacks. However, this is nothing compared to the 100 million sharks (and billions of other sea animals) killed by humans every year—so that humans can eat them.

When you think about the painful way that all fish are slaughtered for fun and food—suffocated, crushed to death, and cut open alive—shark attacks really don't seem all that unprovoked, do they?

On that note, check out our new billboard. It's going up in the cities that see the most shark attacks:


Payback is Hell

For more information on sharks and fishing, please visit FishingHurts.com—and watch Shark Week! I will!

Posted by Amanda Schinke

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The views expressed here are those of the author alone, are subject to change, and may not represent the views of PETA. They are being provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Except where third party ownership or copyright is indicated or credited regarding materials contained in this blog, copying, reproduction, or redistribution of any of the documents, data, content, or materials contained in this weblog for personal, noncommercial use is enthusiastically encouraged.

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