"As top predators, sharks serve as caretakers of their ocean environments. By feeding on the sick and weak, they strengthen prey populations and maintain the genetic quality of species below them in the food chain. Some sharks are also scavengers, removing the dead from their environments. The presence of sharks likely encourages biodiversity in an ecosystem."
Source Animal Welfare Institute
Shark finning has been around for decades and is the main reason that sharks are being pushed to the brink of extinction. Shark finning is the act of removing a shark’s fin by cutting or sawing through them and then using that for an economic profit. Rather than capturing a shark and harvesting its fin alongside the rest of the meat, fishermen simply cutting the fins off of live sharks, then release the sharks back into the sea. This leaves them helpless, in pain, and bleeding, utterly vulnerable to predators and to disease.
Shark Fin Soup Shark fins are being “harvested” in ever greater numbers to feed the growing demand for shark fin soup, an Asian “delicacy”. Many people enjoy shark fin soup only due to the status. In reality, shark fin soup actually gives no flavor to the broth. It only provides a texture that can be easily obtained through synthetic shark fins or even other sources of ingredients.
The reason why shark fin soup is so popular is because it is symbolic in Asian culture. Shark Fin soup dates back to Ming Dynasty. The efforts required to get the fin, time required for preparation, etc., contribute to the symbolism of Shark Fin soup as a gourmet delicacy. The hardship of obtaining the shark and the fins and preparing them are exactly what causes the demand. As a new wealthy middle class emerges in China, they show off their wealth through the obtainment of shark fins. Shark fins have now only become a "show of wealth" rather than the actual means of consuming them. The Chinese government has recognized shark finning and has banned them at any formal government occasion.
The Asian culture erroneously believes that Shark Fin has good properties like enhancing skin quality, increasing qi or energy, preventing heart disease, and lowering cholesterol. On the contrary, the medical society believes that there is no benefit from the Shark Fin. Adding to this, several reputed governing bodies like U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and even New York City’s Department of Health supported this statement with available research and data and has given warning regarding the serious health conditions associated with consumption of shark products due to the high levels of mercury and other contaminants found in the sharks’ flesh. In this case, the shark fins actually cause more harm to those that consume it.
The Asian culture erroneously believes that Shark Fin has good properties like enhancing skin quality, increasing qi or energy, preventing heart disease, and lowering cholesterol. On the contrary, the medical society believes that there is no benefit from the Shark Fin. Adding to this, several reputed governing bodies like U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and even New York City’s Department of Health supported this statement with available research and data and has given warning regarding the serious health conditions associated with consumption of shark products due to the high levels of mercury and other contaminants found in the sharks’ flesh. In this case, the shark fins actually cause more harm to those that consume it.
Fin Fighters, a group that works to protect sharks from inhumane acts such as shark finning, want to eliminate shark finning by 2030.
In my interview with them for this article, they said one way they are fighting for the sharks is through education. They do this through a multi-pronged approach that includes networking with schools to develop special event shark talks.
My full interview with Fin Fighters follows:
Q What do shark fins have that make them so valuable?
A That's an interesting question – it depends how you look at it – the fins themselves are valuable to the sharks of course, as they are essential to their survival!! However, the only value they have to us is the monetary value we have put upon them; so they are only worth a lot of money because someone at some point has said that they should be. It creates something called 'prestige' to be associated with an expensive item, which gives the consumer a sense of power.
In terms of the fin as a 'foodstuff' there is nothing special about it at all, it doesn't have any medicinal purpose, it is just cartilage the same that makes up our ears and noses, it is tasteless and nutrition less, and in fact it’s actually quite toxic due to the sharks accumulation of metals and chemicals in its flesh during its lifetime.
Q How do you plan to eliminate shark finning?
A We hope that the work we do here at Fin Fighters will go some way to stop shark finning completely – but currently we are working in the UK and with local groups to get it removed from their areas in an effort to build a movement and gain public and political support.
One way to do this is to stop the demand for shark fin soup and therefore the demand for fins will naturally drop. We can do this by raising awareness through talking to people – but also very importantly we are working to promote action, by inspiring people to actively get involved and to speak out against it.
Our campaign Fin Free by 2023 hopes to do this as we will travel city by city in the UK engaging local groups, schools and organisations, and working together to collect petition signatures to secure a condemnation of the sale and distribution of shark fin within that city. Once we have a majority of councils and MPs behind us we will then petition the UK government to ban the trade and distribution of shark fin from the UK entirely.
We not only want people to show their solidarity against the sale and distribution of shark fin, but we feel it is important for governments all over the world to show that they too are against it and stop it from being imported; if enough countries can do this we hope that the finning will stop.
Q How are shark fins captured?
A Sharks are captured out at sea, sometimes by large-scale industrial vessels, but usually by small fishing boats using long lines. These long lines can stretch across the ocean for miles and catch many sharks, as well as other sea creatures such as sea birds, turtles and dolphins – it is a very destructive fishing method.
The sharks are often alive when hauled up onto the boats and depending on which part of the world they are caught in they are then either processed immediately or stored for processing later in ports.
If processed at sea their fins are cut off with machetes – sometimes whilst the shark is still alive, the shark is then thrown back into the ocean to drown or be eaten by other sea creatures. This is an unimaginably cruel thing to do; you couldn’t imagine someone doing this to a cow, or any other animal killed for human consumption - chopping its legs off whilst still alive and then leaving it to bleed to death, it just wouldn’t happen. So we shouldn’t do this to sharks either and stringent laws need to be put in place and enforced to ensure that this doesn't occur.
Q What is the economic value of a shark fin?
A The economic value of shark fin is very high as it is seen as a delicacy or 'prestige' foodstuff - and a bowl of shark fin soup can fetch very high prices in expensive restaurants. The soup is usually ordered for weddings, celebrations, business meeting or to show others the amount of wealth you possess. Because fishing just for shark fin (i.e. 'finning') is illegal in many waters or has strict limits applied, the processing and trade of shark fin is often organised by gangs and mafias who bribe officials and often even use the smuggling of drugs as a cover for the import of shark fin!
Wildlife crime such as trading in illegally caught shark fin is the third highest global black-market crime after Gun and drug running - another reason it should be stopped!!
Q Where are they most popular?
A Shark fin is consumed around the world – even in the UK and America, and in many different communities and by many different cultures.
Due to close global links in trade and easier transport links, shark fin is imported and exported in nearly every country - to be served as an exotic and specialist dish.
However, it is most popular in regions of China where it originated during the Dynasties.
New economic growth has led to the creation of a larger middle class of wealthy families in China, all keen to show their wealth off through consuming dishes like shark fin soup; however the Chinese government have recognised the ecologic damage caused by finning sharks and so have decided to ban the soup at any official government occasion.
Fin Fighters believe that shark fin soup should no-longer be associated with the idea of being part of the Chinese cultural heritage – it may have originated this way, but this is no longer appropriate because it has become part of the culture of money; of showing of wealth and power and this practice is driving sharks to the brink of collapse around the world, which is unacceptable for a bowl of soup.
A That's an interesting question – it depends how you look at it – the fins themselves are valuable to the sharks of course, as they are essential to their survival!! However, the only value they have to us is the monetary value we have put upon them; so they are only worth a lot of money because someone at some point has said that they should be. It creates something called 'prestige' to be associated with an expensive item, which gives the consumer a sense of power.
In terms of the fin as a 'foodstuff' there is nothing special about it at all, it doesn't have any medicinal purpose, it is just cartilage the same that makes up our ears and noses, it is tasteless and nutrition less, and in fact it’s actually quite toxic due to the sharks accumulation of metals and chemicals in its flesh during its lifetime.
Q How do you plan to eliminate shark finning?
A We hope that the work we do here at Fin Fighters will go some way to stop shark finning completely – but currently we are working in the UK and with local groups to get it removed from their areas in an effort to build a movement and gain public and political support.
One way to do this is to stop the demand for shark fin soup and therefore the demand for fins will naturally drop. We can do this by raising awareness through talking to people – but also very importantly we are working to promote action, by inspiring people to actively get involved and to speak out against it.
Our campaign Fin Free by 2023 hopes to do this as we will travel city by city in the UK engaging local groups, schools and organisations, and working together to collect petition signatures to secure a condemnation of the sale and distribution of shark fin within that city. Once we have a majority of councils and MPs behind us we will then petition the UK government to ban the trade and distribution of shark fin from the UK entirely.
We not only want people to show their solidarity against the sale and distribution of shark fin, but we feel it is important for governments all over the world to show that they too are against it and stop it from being imported; if enough countries can do this we hope that the finning will stop.
Q How are shark fins captured?
A Sharks are captured out at sea, sometimes by large-scale industrial vessels, but usually by small fishing boats using long lines. These long lines can stretch across the ocean for miles and catch many sharks, as well as other sea creatures such as sea birds, turtles and dolphins – it is a very destructive fishing method.
The sharks are often alive when hauled up onto the boats and depending on which part of the world they are caught in they are then either processed immediately or stored for processing later in ports.
If processed at sea their fins are cut off with machetes – sometimes whilst the shark is still alive, the shark is then thrown back into the ocean to drown or be eaten by other sea creatures. This is an unimaginably cruel thing to do; you couldn’t imagine someone doing this to a cow, or any other animal killed for human consumption - chopping its legs off whilst still alive and then leaving it to bleed to death, it just wouldn’t happen. So we shouldn’t do this to sharks either and stringent laws need to be put in place and enforced to ensure that this doesn't occur.
Q What is the economic value of a shark fin?
A The economic value of shark fin is very high as it is seen as a delicacy or 'prestige' foodstuff - and a bowl of shark fin soup can fetch very high prices in expensive restaurants. The soup is usually ordered for weddings, celebrations, business meeting or to show others the amount of wealth you possess. Because fishing just for shark fin (i.e. 'finning') is illegal in many waters or has strict limits applied, the processing and trade of shark fin is often organised by gangs and mafias who bribe officials and often even use the smuggling of drugs as a cover for the import of shark fin!
Wildlife crime such as trading in illegally caught shark fin is the third highest global black-market crime after Gun and drug running - another reason it should be stopped!!
Q Where are they most popular?
A Shark fin is consumed around the world – even in the UK and America, and in many different communities and by many different cultures.
Due to close global links in trade and easier transport links, shark fin is imported and exported in nearly every country - to be served as an exotic and specialist dish.
However, it is most popular in regions of China where it originated during the Dynasties.
New economic growth has led to the creation of a larger middle class of wealthy families in China, all keen to show their wealth off through consuming dishes like shark fin soup; however the Chinese government have recognised the ecologic damage caused by finning sharks and so have decided to ban the soup at any official government occasion.
Fin Fighters believe that shark fin soup should no-longer be associated with the idea of being part of the Chinese cultural heritage – it may have originated this way, but this is no longer appropriate because it has become part of the culture of money; of showing of wealth and power and this practice is driving sharks to the brink of collapse around the world, which is unacceptable for a bowl of soup.
"Removing the fins at sea and discarding the carcass wastes around 95% of the animal, but this frees up space on the boat for more fins, which can fetch up to US$1000 per kilogram. In comparison, prawns retail at around US$6 per kilogram." by saveourseas.com
Click to learn about how many sharks are killed and how it's calculated.
Click to go to WildAid
Sources:
http://www.wildaid.org/sites/default/files/WhatIsSharkFinning_web.jpg
http://greatecology.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Shark-Finning.html
http://greatecology.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Shark-Finning.jpg
http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/
http://www.sharkwater.com/education.htm
http://www.seashepherd.org/sharks/shark-finning.html
http://www.sharksavers.org/en/education/sharks-are-in-trouble/the-impact-of-the-shark-fin-trade/
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/04/shark-fin-soup-sales-plunge-china-20144913514600433.html
http://saveourseas.com/articles/how_many_sharks_are_caught_each_year
http://www.livehonestly.com/jaspers-blog/sharks-endure-slow-painful-deaths-after-their-fins-are-cut-off-and-they-are-thrown-back-to-sea
http://www.wildaid.org/sites/default/files/WhatIsSharkFinning_web.jpg
http://greatecology.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Shark-Finning.html
http://greatecology.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Shark-Finning.jpg
http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/
http://www.sharkwater.com/education.htm
http://www.seashepherd.org/sharks/shark-finning.html
http://www.sharksavers.org/en/education/sharks-are-in-trouble/the-impact-of-the-shark-fin-trade/
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/04/shark-fin-soup-sales-plunge-china-20144913514600433.html
http://saveourseas.com/articles/how_many_sharks_are_caught_each_year
http://www.livehonestly.com/jaspers-blog/sharks-endure-slow-painful-deaths-after-their-fins-are-cut-off-and-they-are-thrown-back-to-sea
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