Dedi Wong Eng /11/11

My position In May, California passed a ban on the sale and distribution of shark fins. I support the ban, because even though shark fins are considered as a delicacy, shark finning is a cruel act, which should be stopped.

Basic information about sharks Sharks, the top predators of the ocean, are regarded as an “eating machine” due to eating habits, ranging from fishes to humans. They have been around for 400 million years and play an important part in maintaining the marine food web. content/uploads/2011/04/shark-goes-after- seal-photo-credit-national-geographic.jpg

What is shark finning? According to the Ecologist, “shark finning is the practice of cutting off the shark's fins and throwing the still living shark back into the sea to die”. Shark fins are one of the world’s most valuable fisheries products. And according to NGO WildAid, shark finning is responsible for the 90 percent decline in shark population over the last 50 years. d/2008/07/22/conservation2sharkfinning.jpg

Bycatch Large numbers of sharks are taken as bycatch because of longline fishing, which is a method involving a long line attached with hooks. content/uploads/2010/03/longline- fishing1.jpg

Sharks’ growth Sharks are particular vulnerable to overfishing due to their slow growth and late maturity. Accoridng to Current Science, “most large sharks do not reach sexual maturity until the age of seven years or later, and only give birth to a few pups each year”. content/uploads/2010/03/13-shark-family-photo.jpg

Effects of shark finning The increased demand for shark fins has endangered many shark species. It is estimated that by 2017, 20 species of sharks could become extinct. 6l.gifweb.gif

Market for shark fins More than 125 countries around the world trade in shark related products, which created an industry with high returns. In Asia, shark fins sell up to $700/kg and larger sharks can worth thousands of dollars. a-sharkfin15_PH_ jpg

Grading for shark fins According to Current Science, The shark fins are “graded by type, size, color, and other factors such as moisture content, smell and the cut”. /Yokohama_Chinese_Medicine_Shark_fin_large.jpg

Shark fin soup Shark fins are almost tasteless and the soup is always flavored with chicken stock. The soup is often served at important events such as weddings and state functions. Accorinding to the New York Times, it is estimated that “73 million are slaughtered solely for their fins to provide the shark fin soup that is so popular in Asia”.

Status symbol According to the Ecologist, “In the next 10 years there will be up to 250 million relatively middle class urban-living people with disposable income in a highly aspirational culture, where the need and social benefits of showing off wealth are high. This will mean a potentially higher demand for shark fin soup because of the status it confers on both the giver and receiver.” content/uploads/2009/03/large-shark-fins-for-sale-in- hong-kong.bmp

Faux shark fin soup According to KTSF, “Corey spent at least a year to create a combination of hydrocolloids to imitate the texture of real shark fins. Shark fin strands are made of broth that is cooked with traditional ingredients including chicken and Jin-Hua ham.”

Growing HK Campaign Against Eating Shark’s Fin

Sharkwater trailer

References: "Endangered Predator." New York Times, (2011): Kettles, Nick. "Revealed: how demand for shark fin soup fuels bloody harvest." Ecologist (2011): Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 26 July Medha. "Shark fin losing its lustre; Once a must at Chinese weddings, the luxury item is losing favour with young couples. " The Vancouver Sun 11 Jul 2011, ProQuest Newsstand, ProQuest. Web. 26 Jul V. K. Dhargalkar, et al. "Shark hunting -- an indiscriminate trade endangering elasmobranchs to extinction." Current Science ( ) 92.8 (2007): Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 26 July Wasley, Andrew. "Unsavoury truths…." Ecologist (2011): 2. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 26 July l