Common Name/s: There are more than 490 species of shark. Some notable shark species are the Great White shark, Whale shark, Blue shark, Basking shark, and Hammerhead shark.

Scientific Name/s: Sharks belong to the Chondrichthyes class, the Elasmobranchii subclass and the Selachimorpha superorder.

Range and Habitat: Sharks live in every ocean of the world from the Arctic to the Antarctic.

Status: Three notable species of shark are classified as Endangered: the Great White, Whale and Basking sharks. However, all shark species are at risk for population decline due to over-fishing to supply the global demand for shark products.

According to the UN-Food and Agricultural Organization, over 100 million sharks and shark-like fish are caught every year. Sharks caught as by-catch are often "finned", and the rest of their bodies are subsequently thrown overboard while the shark is still alive. Shark fin, meat, liver and other parts are sold for food or as ingredients in health and beauty aids. Shark fins however, are the most popular, fetching up to US$564 per kilo. The vast majority of all fins are shipped to Asia where the fins, made into shark fin soup, are considered a delicacy and a status symbol. Since shark fins make up only one to five percent of the animal's bodyweight, 95 to 99 percent of the shark is often wasted. Shark fin soup was once an expensive luxury for the privileged few in southern China, but now it is mass-produced and has become routine at weddings, banquets and business dinners for millions of people around the world.