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“Finning” describes the practice of
cutting away the fins from sharks totally or partly. This is often done without
first killing the animal. Usually the finned animal (alive or dead) is thrown
back into the sea since the fins alone use up less cargo space than the whole
body would do. The main customers for shark fins can be found in far eastern cultures where
the fins have been regarded as an aphrodisiac and shark fin soup as a cultural
meal. It is remarkable that shark fin (consisting up to 90 % of cartilage)
is mainly tasteless and will only take on the taste of the broth it is simmered
in for several days. Today shark fin soup is a status symbol, mostly due to
the high price, which increased drastically over the last years (up to 150.-
US$). China, where the growing influence of capitalistic thinking has increased
the demand for status symbols, is, together with Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapur
and Korea, one of the largest importers of shark fins.
The Chinese disaster !
If the Chinese economy and the related wealth continue
to grow steadily, approximately 250 million Chinese will have the funds to
afford shark fin soup on a regular
basis within 5 years. Fishing fleets and the international shark fin traders
are already preparing to be in position to “deliver in time” !
This will most likely be the ultimate end of the sharks !
Prof. Dr. Hans Hass
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When
sharks die ...