WASHINGTON – As the global shark fin trade reaches its annual peak for the Chinese New Year next week, Humane Society International urges revelers to forego the customary holiday bowls of shark fin soup.
In a cruel, wasteful practice, fins for the soup are frequently harvested by slicing them off, mostly from still-live sharks. The bodies are discarded back into the water. "Finning" kills tens of millions of sharks each year, according to the World Conservation Union.
A study of shark populations by the World Conservation Union has concluded that 111 species are under serious threat, with 20 classified as critically endangered, 25 classified as endangered and 66 classified as vulnerable. The HSI says many more species are likely to be seriously threatened as well, but not enough data exist to make an accurate assessment.
"Shark populations are declining at an alarming rate because of significant threats from environmental factors and overfishing, yet hundreds of tons of shark fin are changing hands this Chinese New Year for astronomical prices, while restaurants and hotels are competing to offer the largest fins for the upcoming celebrations," said Patricia Forkan, president of HSI. "It's time to find a humane alternative to this harmful tradition that is wiping out some of the earth's most enigmatic and vital species."
Because the fin trade brings in huge profits, boat crews save on freezer space by keeping only the fins. The net result is wanton slaughter and waste.
"By keeping only the fins, which can be sun-dried on deck, and throwing away the bodies, boat crews aren't hampered by space constraints, meaning there are virtually no restrictions on the number of sharks caught," said Susie Watts, a shark specialist for HSI. "How can we talk about sustainability under those circumstances?"
Shark Fin Soup Facts
- Hong Kong and mainland China, the world's biggest shark fin importers, brought in approximately 63,000 metric tons between 1998 and 2002. That figure represents tens of millions of sharks killed each year.
- A delicacy for the aristocracy for thousands of years, shark fin soup was frowned-upon by the Chinese Government during the Cultural Revolution. The mid-1980s saw a turn-around and fin trade statistics for the period soared. Demand has remained high ever since.
- Serving shark fin soup is said to honor one's guests and is critical to important celebrations. Ironically, processed shark fins have no flavor at all, so chicken or fish stock is added for taste.
- While still deeply-entrenched, consumer surveys indicate a noticeable change in attitudes since Asia-based shark conservation campaigns began in the year 2000.
Shark declines:
- 89% decline in hammerhead sharks in the NW Atlantic since 1988
- 80% decline in thresher sharks in the NW Atlantic since 1988
- 79% decline in great white sharks in the NW Atlantic since 1988
- 65% decline in tiger sharks in the NW Atlantic since 1986
- 60% decline in blue sharks in the NW Atlantic since 1988
- 99% decline in oceanic white tip sharks in the Gulf of Mexico since the 1950s
- 90% decline in oceanic silky sharks in the Gulf of Mexico since the 1950s
- 60% decline in relative abundance of all sharks in Costa Rican waters in the last 10 years
Click here to view a public service announcement about the cruel and wasteful practice of shark finning. Click here to see it in Mandarin. To find out more information about this issue, please visit www.stopfinning.org
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As the international arm of The Humane Society of the United States, the largest animal protection organization in the country with nearly 10 million members and constituents, Humane Society International addresses issues such as inhumane practices and conditions affecting companion and farm animals, illegal trade in wildlife, threats to endangered species, slaughter of marine mammals, and the use of animals in research and testing. On the web at www.hsihsus.org.
