Darren Boon
“It’s time for Singaporeans not to just focus on economic growth but for moral progress as well.”
This is the message Mr Louis Ng, Founder and Executive Director for Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), hopes to bring across at the first-ever gathering of animal lovers at Speakers Corner on Saturday.
Ng, the speaker for the day, declared 18 April as the day Singapore “will show the world that sharks should not and should never have been exploited” and to start the lead for change.
Calling the consumption of sharks fin and sharks meat a “destructive practice”, Ng exhorted Singaporeans to take it one step further, other than just rejecting sharks fin, and to be “advocates for the sharks”. Ng urged the crowd to share their reasons for not eating sharks fin with people around them.
Ng painted a grim reality of 3,800 sharks being caught every 20 minutes for human consumption.
“Let us stop whispering our concerns and let us start making our voices heard by speaking out. Let us take a stand, joining hands to start this movement and urge people to join us in making this important impact,” Ng said.
Chng Chye Tuan is one who has taken up Ng’s call. Chng, an avid diver and conservationist, sees the need to protect the shark species. As such he has left sharks fin soup out from the menu of his upcoming wedding dinner. He also urges his friends not to consume sharks fin and hopes restaurants can offer a menu free of the dish to customers.
Chye was one of the many attendees who showed up on Saturday in support of ACRES’ cause. Ms Jessintha Sasayiah, a teacher, came to lend support to the campaign though she admitted that the campaign wouldn’t change the number of people eating sharks fin immediately. The speech Ng delivered and the alarming facts and figures left a deep impression on her.
For many others gathered today such as Mr Ng Weiren, Ms Bianca Polak and Ms Jnaneepriya K, the jenga blocks and their subsequent collapse proved to be the highlight of the event.
The jenga blocks signify the ocean’s eco-system. Blocks with pictures of the sharks were placed at the bottom of the tower and were followed by the various species of fishes and other marine life that comprises the ocean’s eco-system. The final block with the words ‘When Sharks Die, The Oceans Die’, was placed at the top as a reminder to those present of the importance of sharks to the ecosystem.
Ng explained that the sharks that are in the lowest block help to maintain stability at the top. “If you take the higher blocks out, it will not collapse so soon…but what we’re actually doing is taking out the bottom pieces…it’s just a matter of time before the whole eco-system collapses,” Ng said.
The block with the sharks was removed and the jenga tower came crashing down.
“The toppling of the tower is symbolic of how much impact sharks have on the eco-system. Yet most people don’t know this impact,” Jnaneepriya said. “The killing of sharks is barbaric!”
The consumption of sharks fin is a cruel ancient tradition, she said. As with cruel practices of yesteryears that have been abolished, she sees no difference in abolishing the brutal practice of consuming sharks fin.
Speaking to The Online Citizen after the event, Ng flags Saturday’s event as a “good start” and hopes to generate a knock-on effect whereby Singaporeans will do more in spreading the message against the consumption of sharks fin and the reasons so, such as the destruction of the eco-system.
Meanwhile he hopes to bring the road-show around Singapore and into schools if possible. Ng is also working with restaurants around Singapore to remove sharks fin from their menus. He is optimistic that consumption figures will drop.
“It’s time for Singapore not to just to focus on economic growth but for moral progress as well,” Ng said.
——–
An alternative recipe to sharks fin soup:
Slideshow of the event / By Boris Chan:
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This is bad news, looks like CITES is also a culprit to drive sharks to extinction:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2007/WWFPresitem964.html
And this is CITES:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/globalmarkets/wildlifetrade/cites.html
So it is ok to eat shark’s meat but not the fin ?
Or we should totally not eat shark ?
Which is which ?
The organisers of this sharks fin seems unaware of singaporean mentality , culture, likes and dislikes. would sporeans care about sharks fin soup?
So many species under threat: http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/specieslist.html
Looks like blue fin tuna is WWF’s priority. Hope that sharks enter the list soon!
Ok, I have vowed off beef, vowed off shark fins, now I will also vow off tuna!
Frankly, if some day some people find that plants and vegetables are life forms with feelings too, I will vow not to be human or any living thing again next life!
Shouldn’t it be “.. vowed off sharks and not vowed off shark fins” ??
some may think i am being frivilious…. but i am genuinely trying to understand the call to boycott eating shark’s fin.. if we want to protect the shark, then the call would be to boycott eating killing sharks, that’s it ! whether it be for their meat or their fins or for sport, just stop killing sharks …
Joe, apparently, some sharks are hunted mainly for the fins only, whereas some are hunted for their meat. And it seems like they are all driven to extinction. According to this website, these 2 species of sharks are killed for their meat and they are also endangered, except CITES don’t recognize the fact yet, meanwhile WWF and TRAFFIC continues their fight to convince them: http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2007/WWFPresitem964.html
Still waiting for the experts to let us know the current situation of sharks population. Actually, I hope to know also how’s the ecology balance now in the ocean, what’s the visible impact to the ocean system now that so many sharks were killed and gone from the ocean system?
Thanks for clarification.
I sometimes wonder whether chicken is an endangered species as well.. I look at the number of chicken rice stalls there are in singapore and the number of chickens (and eggs) we eat, i wonder how is it that no one is worried about chicken or the fowl…
i am not joking. this are some things i wonder .. how in the world can the human race last ….
you are right, but our family don’t eat shark meat, so I don’t need to make any vow for that matter. :P Outside, yet to come across dishes that serve shark meat… ok ok, vow off them just in case.
For example, our family also don’t eat 野味, those strange stuff which is more Cantonese’ tradition. So, it didn’t occur to me that I have to vow off them, because I naturally won’t eat them.
chicken, cow, duck, etc. are farmed animals, they can be easily raised to big numbers. Of course, from cruelty point of view, they are also killed in big numbers every day.
Yes, sad, very sad, so, I am also slowly slowly, going towards vegetarian. Just that, I also feel for the plants and vegetables. I don’t want to feel that I rightfully dine on vegetables, the fact that I have to survive, they sacrifice for me, too, besides granting me oxygen. So, I just want to be thankful to all my food supply, whether vegetarian or not.
So far, there seem fewer people enter this forum these days. Hope they come back to answer our questions!
Worrying about the “feelings” of vegiees is abit too much lah… Plants are …..ermm… plants. they are not life…(oh no ! i certainly do not want to go into a debate on whether they have feelings or not!!).
But i do think that one day the food source for human beings is going to run out…. the way we eat and waste food in singapore is unbelievable ! and the younger generation ain’t so good either…
Hehehe… I am a wonderer and worrier, so, hehehe…
I can not explain why…… some potted plants in where I work can be alive when they are watered by some hands, and dying when watered by others, and then alive again when watered back by those they “prefer”. So, that makes me wonder…..
Younger generation learns their habits from their elders. Education has to be continuous, keep drilling the message down their throats, the way they are drilled to study and excel. *evil grin* :) Maybe they should set some GP syllabus that talks about wildlife conservation, organize more learning trips to see tough life of farmers, etc.??? Instead of those useless band, choir competition overseas…..
ang moh ask you not to eat shark’s fin then you won’t eat ah
what idiots
Well, this is the reality, see… animal issue becomes culture defense issue, just because the facts were discovered by angmohs (if that’s really the case). Can we have more Asian scientists working on these research areas and contribute to announcing the facts?
Maybe wait for better timing to continue this campaign towards the public (education to the young can still continue though)… now there is a lot of unhappiness towards the employment climate in here, lots of blames towards FW, but it’s not entirely their fault. But if it’s something that SEEMs to come from them which SEEMs to threaten our culture, then… naturally there’s retaliation. Go to theonlinecitizen and temasek review main page for more info about FW issues and problems.
Wow, check this out: a 9-yr-old managed to make a restaurant remove shark’s fin soup from the menu. Also, the need for sharks’ meat by the europeans also contribute to mass killing of sharks, they take the meat, asians take the fins. Hmmm…..
http://www.finsonline.com/blog/public-forum-on-shark-fins/
watch-out for next anti slogan.
My bet is:-
“NO to tuna sahimi, sushi and…….”,
the recent ang moh, Austrailian Green Piss, vs Japan whalers quarrels is the hot-bed for this slogan.
the west think they dictate to the whole world what to eat……. arrogant, self-centered, race spremacy,egoistics, etc….
Hope that China and India and even Indonesia improve their international influence quickly, then the US and allies will KwoToa to us(the east).
WE tell them “No to salmon, goose liver, beef, oyster, all western food”
may the day come true
For those who prefer to read chinese:
鱼翅、吃鱼翅的危害、中国吃鱼翅的历史、鱼翅制造的幕后报告、鱼翅营养价值已被质疑、关于鱼翅与鲨鱼的濒危
http://baike.baidu.com/view/9650.htm
关于鱼翅的误解——吃鱼翅有害无益
http://jiaren.org/2009/03/03/what-is-yuchi/
ACRES should consider to include Chinese language to advocate and conduct their campaigns, and get volunteers who can explain in Chinese in their roadshows and talks next time. Why leave out or give up on the adults? Perhaps they will feel more at home with you and will be more willing to listen, give it a thought. Education must reach them too. The younger generation may also be facing difficulties explaining the concepts to their grandpa grandma. Translation is not easy, but if there’s something that is already written in Chinese like the above websites, they can show their parents and grandparents. There are already much that has been done in the English medium. Just come across a Facebook advocating ‘no shark fins’ by Jennifer Lee (an active member in this forum, think you are the same person right?) and learned that she has submitted a lot of articles to the English newspapers. Thanks to such passionate and dedicated volunteer.
But, to reach out to more people, it has to be in the Chinese newspapers as well, in my humble opinion.
i’m not blind to the anti-Chinese subtext when they’re telling people not to eat shark’s fin.
it’s bloody high time we asians address the west’s obsession with beef – bovine flatulence is a major component of global warming. in south america, huge swathes of precious forests have been cut down to make way for cattle grazing. the consumption of beef is also an outrage to over a billion hindus and buddhists.
why not WE educate THEM?
I will not discount the possibility of some people getting involved adding political or social cultural intentions behind the scene. There are genuine people who only focus and care sincerely on environmental issues, and there will be some who enter the noise with other motives. But, can we not get distracted by these people? I believe these people just constitute a small percentage.
As I have already found out from WWF website, (have posted the links in many of my previous replies in this forum), these western environmentalists are also working to control Europeans’ consumption of sharks’ meat because they are taking sharks’ meat from 2 species of endangered sharks while selling the fins to Asia. But I think shark fins soup is taking from a lot more species of sharks.
Beef, if you go to ACRES’ website and check out what they fight for, they are also promoting cruelty-free lifestyle by encouraging becoming vegetarian. They have messages on avoiding beef on the t-shirts they sell. But ACRES is concerned with the problems in this region, mainly Singapore. You’ll be surprised that there are already many other environmental groups discouraging consumption of beef and raising the issues about global warming, mainly from western people themselves. Their scientists are very hardworking in this aspect.
Example:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-greenhouse-hamburger
http://newsbusters.org/node/10930
Yeah, I was discussing this issue with my elder parents to ask of their advice and wisdom. Talking of all the stuff about oceans and how it is going to crumple and so on, is of no immediate concern to people (perhaps only the young will be interested), but if you tell them directly: “don’t take shark fins soup because it is poisonous nowadays, they contain high level of mercury due to sea pollution!”, you have higher chance to make them stop. Better still if we can compile the number of people getting the mercury poisoning from shark fins consumption.
I contribute a lot of ideas already… why no one talks to me? :(((
Sheeesshhh..
Alot of people here are blurring the issue here. If the world comes to end because of our irresponsible habits (in eating or hurting or killing or building, etc), then we all die – ang mo and non ang mohs!
is there a endangered species list by any of these NGOs ?
Right now all the campigns seem to be pretty ad-hoc and not co-ordinated. perhaps they should just pulish (and update regularly) this endangered species list and all efforts should just be to not kill off the endangered species. Does UN have such an agenda, i wonder ?
WWF has its priority list of endangered species, and assuming that they are reporting truth, they have really done quite good work in trying to save them: applying pressure on government and policy decision-makers, organizations, setting up reserve areas, etc. But, seriously, it’s really hard to fight market demand, and many illegal poaching is still on-going.
Here’s the list from WWF: http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/
Oh for heaven’s sake, of all the arguments in this site, this has to take the cake. I am upset with Japanese whaling – am I pro-Western? (red is btw my favourite colour) and I eat shark – am I anti-Western? What a load of rubbish. Argue your point, for goodness sake but stop stereotyping, only the lazy generalises.
What upset me more than anything is the eating of dogs, I said we marched to the embassies of China, Korea and the Philippines and demand a stop to this barbaric habit. And I am upset with dog fighting, I said we marched to the embassy of the US and demand they behead the stupid quarter-back who support dog fight. And oh oh, I am upset with bull fighting too, I said we marched to the embassy of Spain and demand…oh but first, let me wished them good luck in the World Cup (Espana to win World Cup! Torres! Torres! Torres!). And snails, I love snails…
thanks worrier…
very useful reference. There should be a concerted effort by all nations to protect those on the list so that our world and ultimately we ourselves are protected… (I see sharks on the list, so it makes sense now…). The punitive measures and enforcement must also be in place….to make all these effective..
as for “I vote for WP”, since snails are not in the endangered species, eat away, man !!
Great, many more animals cruelty issues brought up! Yes!!!
So much that….. we just feel ashamed of degradation of humanities….. yet, there is hope, when I come across many dedicated organizations and volunteers working to address these issues. There are tonnes of petitions ongoing in http://www.care2.com trying to get signatures to petition all that you mention. I have been following this place since 1999. But, many don’t listen, don’t care, many organizations stated what they have fought, sometimes they managed to do so with victory highlighting that the state or some govt bodies impose bans set regulations etc., then some other issues pop up again, and they continue to write in, exert pressure, working with other organizations that can influence them, gathering research data and facts to show them reality, etc. etc. etc.
Sometimes 1 or 2 out of 5 will succeed, sometimes only 1 out of 10. Not easy… because, political interest, money interest, power interest….. to dig and fight for limited resources they can get hold of. Root of all these problems? – Consumerism!
Stop being fooled into the world of consumerism (economists and govts and for-profit organizations will hate this). Start living simple, wanting only minimal, and that will really make a difference (both to the world, and to your own savings, less non-profits need to be set up, many non-profits can also close down, no need to make so much donations also). – My ideals! Most likely end up dream long long……
Go and watch this: http://www.storyofstuff.com/
Years ago when I joined an overseas tour to Spain, I am very glad that the entire bus of tourists all refuse to watch bull fighting. Maybe it’s time constraint, but, still… very happy! :)
PS: Those into human cruelty issues… I also have a lot to throw to you. For now, we shall stick to animal ones here.
Can ACRES people come in here and join the discussion? I posted so many questions, need answers…. because we want to help out also….. *sigh*… I am like one mad person talking to myself most of the time.
Joe, looks like we also must avoid American Ginseng, because it’s also on the brink of extinction (check the list again, they are also highlighting endangered plant species). I am just wondering, as much as what you have feared, how long more before we end up having no food left… and maybe, to feed on processed chemicals extracted from petroleums and minerals. Oh wait, those are also drying up!
cheebye, u guys wanna eat/drink/shit on your shark fin soup, no body really cares!!
??? why is he so angry ???
Hi to “not say I wan to say”, great, you are pointing out something very very valid, which has not been taken into consideration by ACRES in this campaign: Culture, tradition. I am also wondering how, and you are right, most will not care, until, you tell them: “It is poisonous, it contains mercury, it will lead to male impotence, it will cause harm to pregnant woman and children, etc. etc.”
Just need some reported cases of mercury poisoning from consumption of shark fins soup, maybe it will work… ? because people won’t bother unless it affects them immediately. Future scenarios of ocean dying? Species extinct? they won’t want to worry about that, not now. Other problems are taking priority in the meantime… like… other socio political issues discussed so heavily in this website. The current fear of people getting “extinct” their jobs getting “extinct” is probably more worrying and immediate.
Perhaps I should take a break from here, seems like, wrong timing. Maybe I should return to this forum after the election. Actually, I want to further discussions with ACRES, but, they also don’t come here. *sigh* Don’t like the fact that every time I comment here, it will pop up on the “new comments” update list, and sure, it will irritate or annoy some people when they keep seeing “Sharks” appearing so many times.
Bye bye! Thanks for all the rest who have been patient with me all these while. :)
Thanks Worrier, for the very informative sharing of website, etc. I have not been replying as I have been very caught up recently and was not able to reply until today.
Before I start, bcoz of all these race-related topics flying around here, let me 1st clarify that Im 100% Singaporean, and I am a chinese..
There are too many questions posted within too short a period of time, and I will take my best attempt to reply to some of the more important questions posted:
RE: how’s the ecology balance now in the ocean, what’s the visible impact to the ocean system now that so many sharks were killed and gone from the ocean system?
We need to understand that sharks being apex predators of the ocean, have the power to collapse the entire ocean’s ecosystem with their decline. Sharks control the population of fishes that feeds on phytoplankton, which is responsible for taking in carbon dioxide (the culprit for global warming) and turning them into oxygen in the ocean. With the decline of sharks population, we can expect a sharp, steady decline in phytoplankton, hence affecting oxygen levels in the ocean.
The killing of sharks at the current merciless rates will greatly impact the entire ocean’s oxygen supply and eco-system. We are killing sharks at a rate of approximately 100 MILLION sharks a year. This figure excludes unreported figures through illegal fishing.
We rely on the ocean for food and we are causing damage that is serious enough to destroy our major food source – the lobsters, tuna, snappers, etc fishes from the ocean that we have on our plates today, may no longer be available in generations to come if the entire ocean dies from the lack of oxygen.
Lets also not forget the fact that the Earth is made up of 70% water, and that water cycle is such that water from the sea will evaporate and form part of the air that we breathe. Oxygen on land is very much dependent on oxygen in the ocean, and by neglecting this fact, or by choosing to remain insistently nonchalant, we are bringing death to the Earth.
RE: What if sharks are captured both for their fins as well as their meat ? Isn’t it the same as fishing other fishes ?
–> The reason for efforts to reduce killing of sharks is that they are slow to reproduce and the rate we are catching them fin is unsustainable. Meaning, the population is not able to recover fast enough for our consumption. Sharks take 7-25 years to reach sexual maturity and most species produce 1-2 pups (not in schools unlike many other consumable fishes). in many instances, we are killing them before they are even old enough to reproduce, and when they do reproduce, the reproduction rate is not fast enough to meet our demands.
Now, how serious is this, you may ask: The current population of different species is estimated to have fallen between 90-99% of what was about 20 years back. This means that if we have 100 sharks in the past, we are now left with between 1 – 10 sharks, depending on the species. This is a sign that if we continue with the rate we are killing sharks, we may be driving them to extinction sooner than scientists can come up with a solution for us when sharks extinct and collapse the entire eco system in the process.
Now if we see this decline going on here, we can blame “ang-mo” countries that hunt sharks for meat (FYI they are trying to bring consumerism down too) to feel less guilty. If wastage doesnt concern you – Chinese kill tigers for penis, bears for biles, rhinos for horns, sharks for only fins - can I add that before we start pointing around saying others are also doing it, are we even in the position to point to others because demand for fins is so much higher?
If I may be allowed to use an example: If both you and your siblings are littering your house floor, and you happen to litter even more than them, can you blame your siblings for dirtying the place?
And hence, re the question on: Shouldn’t it be “.. vowed off sharks and not vowed off shark fins” ?? –> Answer is, very simply, YES. Because killing of sharks is an unsustainable trade.
RE: Comparing farming with killing of sharks
Undoubtedly – farming is cruel and im not someone who is pro-animal farming. But to put it but to many, meat consumption is staple, but Fin consumption is NOT. Farming is a sustainable trade – animals are bred so they reproduce fast enough to meet demands, and we do not take them from their natural environments. We cant say the same for shark poaching.
For most staples – cows, chickens, we do not farm the animal for just a part of the animal. But we are now killing an entire shark for its fins, and we get them from the wild. Neither do we want to give them any chance for their population to recover.
To sum this up, yes, if you can go vegetarian, pls go vegetarian. But if you cant, lets do our part in choosing the right food to eat. Yes, “ang mos” have their foie gras and what nots, and they are not sitting on the fence – there are conservation groups out there protesting against it. We are in SG and we shd focus our efforts at ourselves, and do things which are within our control. And Sharks fins are completely within our control, bcoz for those who do not know, tiny little SG is the world’s 3rd largest fin trader (this includes imports + exports) based on stats provided 2-3 yrs ago. I hope this allows you to see how much an impact we can bring if our citizens are willing to move forward and act on it.
RE: MERCURY IN SHARK FINS:
You may refer to this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1420029.stm
Reports by the United States Food and Drugs Administration also shows that the mercury levels in sharks is one of the highest amongst other marine fishes, at 0.988 PPM (mercury concentration).
This means that Sharks has mercury concentration that’s averagely 70 times higher than salmon, sardines, or oysters (See http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/FoodbornePathogensContaminants/Methylmercury/ucm115644.htm).
Mercury accumulates at increasing levels as large fish consume contaminated smaller fish. Predatory fish such as shark, large tuna, swordfish, and King mackerel can have mercury concentrations in their bodies that can go up to 10,000 times higher than those of their surrounding habitat. This compound is evenly distributed in body tissues of fish, meaning, the same concentrations are found in muscle, neural tissue, fins and cartilage, and food processing & cooking techniques will not significantly reduce the amount of mercury in fish. Once in the human body, mercury acts as a neurotoxin, interfering with the brain and nervous system.
Exposure to mercury can be hazardous, especially for pregnant women and young children. During the first several years of life, a child’s brain is still developing and rapidly absorbing nutrients. Prenatal and infant mercury exposure can cause mental retardation, cerebral palsy, deafness and blindness. Even in low doses, mercury may affect a child’s development, delaying walking and talking, shortening attention span and causing learning disabilities.
In adults, mercury poisoning can adversely affect fertility and blood pressure regulation and can cause memory loss, tremors, vision loss and numbness of the fingers and toes. A growing body of evidence suggests that exposure to mercury may also lead to heart disease.
For those who wants to know more: http://www.ecowalkthetalk.com/blog/2010/02/12/sharks-fin-the-red-flag/
Thanks =)
Such a disgrace.
Just because human has reach the top of the food chain, therefore can afford to be so arrogant.
Typical and pathetic, continue to oblivious to the fact we share the planet with other living beings that perform specific function in the ecosystem.
Dont talk about cows and sheep that’s farm in cramp and inhumane conditions. That’s is by-product of human arrogant in the first place. Which cause more pollution to begin with.
Shark, is just a small part of the whole issue with our mentality. Dont ask dont care, then go shop for another planet to live in when this is totally inhospitable.
Disgraceful
Regarding concern on losing of culture or tradition as some would have defended, thanks Jennifer, I went to read your last link, such brain goner me, there are so many points and examples from history where we have discarded our own “custom” or “culture” that are no longer working or have been deemed as inappropriate as we move on in time! Why insisting on cruel culture or tradition? It won’t make one less Chinese right? Really silly thinking… Here’s quoting from your article:
“While lots of Singaporeans would lament that this is a tradition that’s hard to change, its time to sit down and start weighing our pros and cons. Let’s also not forget that headhunting was a tradition too. So are feet-binding and arranged marriages.”
By the way, I was actually wondering if there is any facts or research done (and if not, hope that someone will) to show the current visible impact to the ocean system as a result of the sudden drop of sharks population (90% gone, right?), for example, is there now massive drop of phytoplanktons? Because such verification will be more successful to raise the alarm. Just a thought.
Very good question posted, Worrier. In the past 20+/ 30 years, phytoplankton concentrations have declined by appx 30%. Do note that oceanic oxygen levels differs between regions. Do note this % is not 100% corelated to decline of sharks, but experts believe tt it can be a devastating contributor to the overall fall in phytoplankton.
You can check : http://www.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/food-wine/shark-fin-soup-boost/story-e6frer56-1111117544526
http://www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=25364
Not too much is known yet, or at least this is what it seems, however, perhaps we will only know the real impacts after it happen (which may be too late)
Check this book if you are keen: Erik Brush, The Sixth Extinction
http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/news09.htm
Thanks Jennifer! One really needs to look and search hard to find the abundance of all these information and facts. I feel that there isn’t enough consolidation work to make good use of these info to hard sell to the public. Many are written in specialized interest areas, which definitely do not reach the mass. People are generally lazy to look for such things, unless it is provided to them on headline of newspapers, tv, radio, etc. Again, not just in English, also in Chinese to be more impactful.
I was at a mall and passed by stores selling sushi for takeaway, they sell shark fins sushi, maybe at the same price as the rest of the items like tuna sushi or salmon sushi, like <$2? What should I say to these stores? I don’t know what to say. Maybe I should ask them: “is this real or mock fins? How popular are these? Are there people talking to you about avoiding shark fins?” – maybe I will try that tomorrow. :)
I was looking at a lot of other websites. I had an interesting discussion with this professional food writer, he faces a lot of challenges trying to emphasize the point that shark fins is tasteless.
http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2009/12/why-you-shouldnt-eat-shark-fin/32715
Current news from CITES conference still on-going at Doha, Qatar:
UN Fails to Pass Shark Protection Measures
http://www.ecofactory.com/news/un-fails-pass-shark-protection-measures-031710
New protections denied for polar bears, bluefin tuna
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/03/18/1822172/new-protections-denied-for-polar.html
Epic battle to save animals
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/world/Epic%20battle%20to%20save%20animals%20/-/1068/884042/-/145kx2cz/-/
I get the impression I read a question on European/ Aussie nations consuming shark meat. Just wanted to comment that its a chicken + egg issue – which one comes 1st? We can say tt we take fins as by-products while they can say that they are taking meat as by-products.
Rembr this – Its not simply about stopping consumption of fins. its about maintaining sustainability. Its about not killing sharks unless we can find a way to ensure it is sustainable. And bcoz we have proved that we cant, we shd not be killing sharks, and we shd give their population, at minimal, a chance to recover.
Lets not forget that fins are of high value and we are giving additional income to those countries consuming the meat – this probably adds resistance to the whole shark campaign.
We must also not be blind to the fact that there are fleets out there that are out to hunt only for fins. When fishermen are out in high seas, fins are of much higher value than meat itself, and given limited space on fleets, e best way to maximize revenue for each fishing trip is of coz, to create space by dumping carcasses post-finning (so that the fleets remain on seas for a longer period of time, instead of weighing their fleets down with lower value carcasses.)
Say IF shark meat consumption is high in SG, but fin consumption is neligible in comparison, trust me, conservation groups here will be telling u to stop buying meat.
Hope this clarifies. I will be outstationed till late April, hence, will not be replying to any further questions till then.
Cheers! :)
Very interesting video re sharks: http://www.southernfriedscience.com/?p=4368
To Alama: That’s right, sharks are not endangered, they are just hiding. Same for tigers or the dodo in NZ, the latter is very good at hiding that’s why we haven’t seen one for a century.
Well, Jennifer, the hard selling on the need to conserve them, let them recover, let them not get extinct, doesn’t work at national and international level, the international conference of CITES just ended. Very bad news for the marine life, not just sharks, also tunas, corals, etc.
Little celebration as Cites ends
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/wildlifesos/2010/03/2010325185143794333.html
BIODIVERSITY: Trade Trumps Concern for Threatened Marine Species
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=50812
People who wants big money now, just want big money. Money and politics win. Not sure, if the regional, local strategies will work: hammering on consumers, that is.
Then again, some people will sarcastically say: why bother? Extinct, extinct loh! No more meat to eat, you vegetarians should be very happy, right?
I hope this kind of people constitute only a negligible percentage. I have no more blood to vomit already. I am cynical, sorry, don’t really trust humans, until they are near death (at least that’s the last hope, if near death still can not wake up, …….)