Say NO to Shark Fin

Among the many things I love to see when I go diving are sharks. When people think of sharks, what comes to their mind are the rows and rows of sharp teeth and the fear of being eaten by one. To me, sharks are beautiful awesome creatures. These animals are powerful and menacing yet graceful. It is amazing how such a large creature can move the way they do. To see a great white shark leap out of the ocean when they hunt seals is pure and simple awe. To be scuba diving and to come across a large school of Hammerhead sharks is an experience that is exhilarating.

Since I started scuba diving and seeing these beautiful creatures up close, I’ve become aware of the way the Shark’s fins are obtained. As a result, I’ve stopped eating shark fin soup. Yes, I do admit, I used to eat it. When I was living with my parents, we used to go out on weekends for a family meal at my dad’s favourite Chinese restaurant. Inevitably, one of the dishes would be an individual bowl of shark fin for each person.

Shark fin is neither a delicacy nor is it nutritional and to top it off, it’s tasteless. The soup’s taste comes from the broth that is boiled with pork, chicken, mushrooms, etc, not from the cartilage that is the fin. The reason people eat shark’s fin when dining at Chinese restaurants is because of the status-conscious culture predominant in Asia. What a load of crock. Fortunately, since I denounced eating shark fin soup, so did the rest of my family. I can live with people assuming I’m of low social status, see if I care. Step up and do the same, please!

The impact to sharks as a result of this misguided status-seeking obsession is that we’re eating them to extinction. Sharks reproduce slowly. They take a long time to reach sexual maturity and when they do, the gestation period can be as long as two years. The process of obtaining these shark’s fins is incredibly cruel and pointless. Sharks are caught and their fins sliced off while they are still alive and then tossed back into the ocean. Without their fins, the sharks drown or bleed to death.

There have been many articles in the printed media about the issue and impact of Shark’s fin soup on the existence of sharks. Yet awareness of this is low despite the many campaigns by ecological groups (Shark Trust, OceanNEnvironment, Seawatch), including pleas from celebrities. Here’s a recent one from a local daily that prompted this posting. So, do the world a favour… everytime you are offered to dine on this supposed prestigious dish, say no to shark fin.