Is Shark Fin worth it?
When and where did it start?
According to SharkInsider , shark finning started around the 14 century in China during the Ming Dynasty. They used shark fins to make soup which was generally served exclusively to the emperor. Fast forward to the 21st century, shark Fins have become a delicacy, usually served in restaurants or to be used medicinal purposes, usually in traditional medicine.
Shark finning
For those of you who don’t know, shark finning is when a shark is fished out of the ocean and have its fins cut off. As there is no use of the rest of the shark, it is usually tossed back into the ocean. During this process, the shark is usually still alive. As the sharks sink to the ocean, they usually die due to starvation, lack of oxygen because they can’t swim or they get eaten by other sea animals.
The problem
Sharks of all species have become targets for fisherman all over the world. This has caused many shark species to become endangered and some even in the critical state. According to WWF two of the sharks species in that category are the Whale Shark and the Great White Shark. Nat Geo estimated that around 100 million sharks are killed each year. That averages out to about two hundred and seventy three thousand sharks a day.
So what?
Sharks are considered keystone species. This means that without them, the entire aquatic food chain could collapse. An article done by Metro Uk mentioned that in Hawaii, sharks help maintain healthy levels of sea grass because they control the population of turtles that roam the ocean in that area. Without sharks, the turtle population will explode which will then lead to the over-harvesting of the sea grass. With the lack of sea grass comes the lack of oxygen in the water as not enough photosynthesis occur. This will then result in the poor quality of life for all marine plants and animals in that area.
Wrap it up
Sharks are often portrayed as killer, murderers, monsters….
But ask yourself this, who’s the real monster here? Us or them?
I cannot tell you what to do, but I can educate you. Think twice the next time you decide to order a bowl of shark fin soup.
Completely blaming the supplier isn’t right. The blame is shared equally between both the supplier and the consumer. Like the saying goes, “When the buying stops, the killing can to”.
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