Well it seems the Chinese don't, except the fins to make shark fin soup. This "delicacy" is a sign of wealth and prestige. It is served at weddings, business luncheons and high-end restaurants.
How do they get the fins? In many cases the shark is caught, the fins are cut off and the shark is then tossed back into the water to die. (warning graphic) In other cases the bodies are brought back to shore where their fins are cut off to be sold. This practice is done around the world to supply Hong Kong and China, two of the biggest buyers.
In Hong Kong recently, eighteen thousand shark fins were found on top of a roof drying, According to National Geographic 40 million sharks are killed each year, though some scientists estimate it to be over one hundred million. Ninety percent of some shark populations have been exterminated. This has caused an outcry from environmentalists around the world, putting pressure on governments to change their policies. Even China will be banning shark finning by the year 2015. They have already taken the soup off the menu at government public banquets but some say it's more because of public resentment of the government's extravagant spending than the plight of sharks. The U.S passed the Shark Conservation Act recently , unfortunately it has an exception. But more has to be done by all the countries and every individual.
Hopefully by now you're asking what can you do to stop this. Write to the United Nations tell them you oppose shark finning and the sale of shark fins and any product made of shark fins. Ask them to put pressure on those countries that allow this to happen. Sign petitions calling for the banning of such practices.
The following are a few places to check out for more ideas.
Humane Society - International - http://www.hsi.org/issues/shark_finning/tips/help_stop_shark_finning.html
Sea Shepard - http://www.seashepherd.org/sharks/what-can-be-done.html
Savingsharks.com - http://www.savingsharks.com/
I know I put in many links but I felt it was necessary to get the point across. Hopefully you've found them informative, interesting and moving. Thanks for coming by and possibly taking a stand.
Thanks for making me aware of this horrible practice--very inhumane. I'll be sharing these links with friends as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much,Jolyse. The more who know the better the chance of ending it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by.
This is disgusting! I know cultures do things like kill rhinos for the horn for medicinal use. Even if shark finning is banned, I'm afraid the black market will continue selling and at a higher price.
ReplyDeleteThank you for bringing this to our attention.
I think the best way to combat this is to educate the people who consume the soup. I the demand diminishes so will the collection of shark fins.
DeleteThanks for commenting.
I've seen this on the news and am appalled. The way some people treat other living creatures is despicable and inexcusable. I'm so glad you gave advice and information on what we can do to try to stop this barbaric practice. Thank you so much for that, Donna. If we all write one letter, add our signature to one petition... it just might work.
ReplyDeleteThanks Debbie. I know you're a animal rights advocate. Got my fingers crossed. You have to try and something.
DeleteThanks for the encouragement.
Oh yeah. I'm so glad you're getting this info out there for others to see. Slowly but surely countries are making this illegal, but hopefully before these sharks are extinct.
ReplyDeletePatti
The more people that see what's going on the better it is. As you said, hopefully things will change before the extinction of sharks. That would be a shame.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Thanks for this post! I had no idea the dire straights our sharks were in. I'm so happy to see so many activist groups taking an interest in it. I'm still in disbelief over the whole thing. Out of this world...
ReplyDelete~Tuere
It's totally mind boggling what humans do. It's a good thing there are others trying to stop it. We have to remember we're all in this together and that includes wildlife and the environment.
DeleteThanks Tuere for coming by.