Page 62 - Shark

Use and abuse

People have found a use for almost every
part of a shark’s body. The tough skin can be
turned into leather, the teeth into jewelry, the shark teeth
jaws into souvenirs, the carcass into fertilizers, These pendants are made from
the teeth of the great white
NapoleoN aNd the shark the fins into soup, the flesh eaten, and the oil shark. Misguided people think
Sailors feared and disliked sharks. that wearing shark tooth
Here, the French emperor Napoleon from the liver used in industry, medicines, and pendants make them look
(1769–1821) watches a shark being cosmetics. Human exploitation of wild animals as fierce as a great white.
killed, during his journey into exile
on the remote Atlantic island like sharks can cause a serious decline
of St. Helena. in numbers, if more animals are killed than can be
replaced by the birth and survival of the young.
GettiNG a Grip Sharks are especially at risk because they are
This sword handle,
covered with rough slow to reproduce. It is hard to put sensible
shark skin, gives a limits on the numbers of shark that can safely
swordsman a
secure In battle, a be fished because so little is known about
grip. bloody handle them. Today, sharks are mainly exploited for
could still be
gripped their meat and fins and demand for shark
meat will probably continue as the human
population increases. If fewer people were to
use products derived from sharks, their future
would be more secure. Otherwise, the effect
on the natural balance in the oceans could
prove to be disastrous.
The shark skin on the handle of
this British Royal Artillery
officer’s sword has been dyed
Rough ray skin under black cord

samurai sword
This 19th-century sword once belonged to
a Samurai warrior from Japan. Its handle is
covered with unpolished ray skin, while the
sheath is made of the polished and lacquered Lacquered ray-skin-
skin of a ray (pp. 8–9). covered sheath
Curved
ivory
handle

persiaN daGGer
The sheath of this 19th-century Persian dagger
is covered in ray skin. A flowery design has
been painted onto the lacquered skin.

Box of happiNess shark remaiNs
Fine shark skin, or leather, These two
was used to cover this early hammerheads
20th-century rectangular box (pp. 42–43) were
from Korea. The leather caught off the coast
is smooth because the of the Baja Peninsula
denticles, or small teeth, in western Mexico.
have been highly polished, In this poor area,
then lacquered, and dyed their meat was
dark green. Shagreen— probably used for
Outside of each rough, unpolished shark food and their skin
door decorated with double skin—is used as an for making into
happiness characters abrasive, like sandpaper, leather goods, such
for polishing wood. as wallets and belts.

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