Shark finning

Shark Finning - Abreu 1

Shark Finning

Wilden Abreu

Professor Ruhren BIO 262: Introductory Ecology


Abstract

This paper exams shark finning and the effects it has on individuals and marine

environments along with current issues surrounding the topic. Shark fining is estimated to

cost the lives of 73 million sharks per year as the demand for it increases in Europe and

Asian cultures.Shark finning is the process by which sharks have their primary and

sometimes secondary fins removed. Sharks are then dumped back into the water and left

to bleed out proving to be wasteful and hurting food security. The high demand for shark

fins has risen recently due to increases in demand and due to its high market value. Shark

populations have been affected and have become worrisome to Ecologist who believes

sharks are on its way to being extinct. Laws and bans have been put in place to help

conserve the population, but overfishing of sharks can cause numerous problems and

ecological issues in marine environments. By enforcing these laws and promoting shark

awareness, shark finning can be controlled and ultimately preserve shark populations

around the world.


Shark finning is defined as the process by which sharks have their fins removed

and soon after, their bodies are dumped back into the sea and left for dead (Meliane

2003). The international demand for shark fins and their high market price has increased

throughout the years and has subsequently cause a drastic decrease in shark population

(Santana-Garcon et all, 2012). The discarding of sharks after finning is not only wasteful

(the fins only account for 2-5% of the shark), but it also threatens many shark types, has a

negative effect of the marine-ecosystem and alters the traditional sustainability of

traditional fisheries (Meliane 2003). To combat these issues, shark-finning laws have

been created and enforced in over 30 countries, but their implementation methods

ultimately dictate if these rules are successful (Santana-Garcon et all, 2012). Some argue

that it’s unconstitutional to prohibit the possession, sale and distribution of shark fins, due

to its cultural importance, but politicians and ecologist believe that these laws are

necessary in order to prevent the extinction of sharks (Sankin 2012).

Shark finning dates back to the Chinese Ming dynasty, where those who were

privileged enough to buy fins, ate shark fin soup as a symbolic gesture to demonstrate

how wealthy they were (Bird 2001). With the Chinese population and prosperity rate

increasing in the last few years, middleclass individuals could now afford to purchase the

fins levels of demand never seen before (Colley 2011). The soup, said to be tasteless,

uses shark fins as an added texture to the soup. The fins are cleaned and boiled for hours

at a time to get rid of its strong smell and then dried off. The soup is finished off usually

with chicken broth, and is usually sold in restaurants for $100 (Bird 2001). The soup is

served at multicourse banquets, weddings, anniversaries, and at corporate or state

functions; the soup is a “must have” menu item (Wassener 2012). With high prices for


soups, the shark finning business is estimated at 500 million annually and it is also to

blame for the estimated 73 million sharks slaughtered every year (Colley 2011).

Laws and policies have been passed in the last few years in order to control and

prevent the horrible slaughter and removal of shark fins. It is illegal to go shark finning in

waters of the European Union, United States, Australia, and among others, but a black

market still exist to meet the demands for fins (Wall 2012). Ecologists argue that these

laws need to be in place everywhere not only to maintain the shark population, but also to

keep the marine ecosystem balanced (Meliane 2003). Most finning laws limit the

allowable fin-to-carcass-mass ratio allowed (fins landed must be proportional to bodies

landed) or entirely prohibits the removal of shark fins at sea (Santana-Garcon et all,

2012). These laws will help with the overexploitation of sharks and will help provide a

more accurate assessment of the shark population. Illegal shark finning and the black

market make it impossible to know how many sharks are left and could intervene with

conservation since the current data is poor (Clark et all, 2006).

Overfishing is an issue seen in all types of fish, but it is a major issue when it

comes to sharks because of the rate at which they reproduce. Sharks grow slowly and

don’t reach sexual maturity until they are 12 -14 years old therefore it is important to

maintain the sharks we have now alive (Wall 2012). The fishing bans allow for the

monitoring and promotion of conservation and sustainability of sharks in order to

maintain the species alive (Meliane 2003). It is believed that at least 126 of the 460 shark

species are threatened by extinction causing a major problem in the marine ecosystem

since sharks are at the top of the food chain. It has already caused a decrease in the

number of other animal species such as the giant squid and cownose ray. Shark finning


ultimately decreases the biodiversity of an environment, interrupts the food chain and

destroys the natural ecosystem. With all of these reasons not to harm sharks, there are

still people who oppose these laws and consider them to even be racist (Wall 2012).

Many people are perplexed by the idea of shark finning laws could be considered

discriminatory and racist but for many Chinese-American groups, they feel targeted. The

Chinatown Neighborhood Association, a Chinese-American group located in San

Francisco, has filed a lawsuitagainst the state of California’s ban on the possession, sale

and distribution of shark fins; those who are guilty can face $1000 fine and up to six

months in prison. They argue that shark fins are an important part of their culture and by

having these bans in place, local businesses are loosing up $40 million dollars and its

costing 300 people their jobs. (Sankin 2012). Two senators from California goes as far as

saying that the legislation sends a bad message and makes discrimination of Chinese-

Americans okay. Cultural practices shouldn’t have to be defended according to Leland

Yee (one of the two senators) and the shark finning laws single out the Chinese culture

that has been practiced for thousands of years (Wall 2012).

Others do not see it as a racist issue; they just seek to preserve the shark

population. Legislation is in the process of being passed in China to prevent the serving

of shark fin soup at official banquets throughout the country. The World Wildlife

Federation of Hong Kong is taking the lead in making sure this law gets passed. Hong

Kong is the main hub for shark fins and passing this law would send an enormous

message to those who consume the fins in China and possibly help decrease the amount

of fins eaten (Wassener 2012). The law may take up to three years to be put into place,


but the faster this occurs, the better; Chinese buyers are currently franchising fish vessels

and paying people salaries in order to keep up with demands (Colley 2011).

Teaching people about the side effects of shark finning could help with

awareness. The laws are not established to stop a tradition, or to stop people from eating

shark fin soup; they are there to keep sharks alive. The goal is to alter the attitude of the

Chinese who do consume shark fins and make them realize that if there aren’t any sharks,

their wont be an shark fins for the soup (Bird 2001). Awareness is the key to helping

increase shark populations; by teaching the importance of shark preservation and the

dangers of consuming sharks it could lead to a decrease in finning. Sharks are the very

top of the food chain and they consume many of the poisons of the sea, therefore shark

meat has extremely high levels of mercury. When shark meat is eaten, methyl mercury

accumulates in the body and reaches the brain and could affect the central nervous system

negatively. Sharks are needed in the ocean to eat up those poisons; if they aren’t around

then the marine ecosystem will fall apart (Colley 2011).

Sharks are in the news when they attack humans; but when humans decide to

decapitate shark fins and throw the fish back into the water, it isn’t newsworthy. Shark

finning, although illegal in numerous countries, is decreasing the number of sharks on the

planet as demand for fins increases. Conserving sharks will only benefit the ecosystem in

the long run; they are at the top of the food chain and are needed to maintain a balanced

marine-ecosystem. Sharks are known to be vicious creatures, but they are a top predator

that is needed in the ocean. With laws and bans put into place, and with the help of

awareness, preserving the shark population can be possible as long as shark fin soup

demand returns to being a prestigious meal instead of an every day item. If sharks


continued to be finned at the rate they currently are, the shark population will become

depleted and ultimately become extinct.


Literature Cited

Bird, M. (2001, February 26th

). Man Bites Shark. Time Magazine. Retrieved July 19th

2012.

Clarke, S.C., McAllister, M.K., Milner-Gulland, E.J., Kirkwood, G.P., Michielsens, C.,

Agnew, D., … Shiviji, M. (2006). Ecology Letters 9, 1115-1126

Colley, C. (2011, October) Cut to the Quick. New Internationalist, 44-45. Retrieved July

19th

2012 from EBScoHost database.

Meliane, I. (2003, June). Shark Finning. IUCN, The World Conservation Union.

Retrieved July 19th

2012.

Sankin A. (2012, July 18th

). Shark Fin Ban Challenged As Discriminatory Against Asians

In New Lawsuit. Huffington Post (San Francisco, CA), Retrieved July 19th

2012

Santana-Garcon J., Fordham S. and Fowler S. Blue Shark Prionave glauca fin-to-carcass

mass ratios. (2012). Journal of Fish Biology 80, 1895-1903

Wall, C. (2012). Going Extinct For A Bowl of Soup: An Examination of the Depiction

of Shark Finning inAmerican and Chinese Newspapers. Visions Magazine, 6,

3-7. Retrieved July 19th

2012 from EBScoHost database.

Wassener, B. (2012, July 3rd

). China Says No More Shark Fin Soup at State Banquets.

The New York Times (New York, NY), Retrieved July 19th

2012

Documents

Shark finning