Upfront: Say NO To Shark Fin Soup

Some shark fins, freshly cut, waiting on the dock.

 Say NO To Shark Fin Soup

In the Chinese culture, a very special meal is served on weddings, anniversaries, and on particular dinners and events. At a price of about $26 a bowl, shark fin soup is a traditional meal that has been served in China and other countless (Asian) countries, for centuries; even dating back to China’s Ming dynasty. Back in the day, only wealthy Chinese and Asians were able to afford to eat this reserved delicacy, but with China’s growing economy, more middle class citizens have been able to afford shark fin soup, leading to a swell in shark fin sales. Which has been leading to sharks going almost extinct from overfishing. On July 2, 2012, China’s government has decided that, most likely in three years, the soup will no longer be served at state banquets. The ban will put a stop to shark slaying, since only the fins are used and no other body parts, leading to wasted shark lives. Some people claim that the soup is good for you, when in reality, the nutritional benefits of shark fins and shark cartridge have yet to be proven, with better alternatives and most fins are treated with hydrogen peroxide; to make their color more appealing to consumers, but not making them more healthy.

This dead shark couldn't swim, because it had its fins cut off.

The "delicacy" that so many sharks die for.

When sharks are finned; sharks caught and are dragged onto a fishing boat and have all of their fins and tails hacked off. No medical professionals are there, no painkillers are used, and the heartless part is that the sharks are thrown off the boat, into the endless, cold, dark ocean, with no fins to swim and with no way to seamlessly glide through the water. The sharks slowly and gradually sink to their death at the bottom of the ocean, all for the ignorant people that yearn of the taste of their well adapted fins. Even though the banning of shark finning would negatively affect business, there is better, more beneficial alternative than killing innocent sharks. I understand that culture is a part of this practice, but some practices are outdated, and ought to be changed, such as slavery was. We have discovered and gathered new information about sharks, and that sharks actually benefit us. Cultures evolve, as we humans evolve and if our practices in culture do not evolve with us, then they must be changed for the better, since we must learn from our mistakes and keep Earth’s environment safe. Another statement that is brought up, is that sharks are dangerous to people. Statements such as that one are false. The people that get killed or injured by a shark is actually incredibly small. You are sixteen times more likely to be hit by lightning than to be bitten by a shark. Shark stereotypes are spread like wild fire and create ideas that sharks are deadly and harmful. Most magnificent sharks however do not attack humans, only a few species, and the rest of the species of sharks are totally harmless. If humans were to completely destroy the shark species from overfishing, whole ecosystems would collapse. Different animals and plants are interconnected and rely on each other. If sharks are destroyed, which are top predators, with irreplaceable roles; who keep the rest of the animals healthy by picking off the unhealthy and weak organisms in the middle of the food pyramid. Humans rely on oceans for much of our food, and so if ecosystems are destroyed, causing mass extinction or a surplus of aquatic pests/biological invaders (with no predator; sharks, to control them, that eat other native species food supplies), some of our food supply would be unstable.
The United States has banned shark fishing, and the possession, trade, sale, and distribution of shark fins in Oregon, California, and Washington has been a crime since 2011, making the U.S. a step ahead of China in animal protection. Several other countries such as Singapore and Malaysia have joined the anti-shark finning list. I strongly am against shark finning, since it negatively impacts shark lives and I suggest China and Asian countries find an better alternative to their shark fin hankering.


All credit goes to original owners.

“Upfront” News & Trends: China Shark Fin Soup Off the Menu Page 4 Issue: December 10 & 17, 2012
http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/shark-fin-soup-facts.htm

This is a link to the Humane Society of America which is out to stop animal abuse.

Keep On Chasin' Your Dreams,
Caitlin