Environmental Preservation 101: Educating the Public about the Drawbacks of Shark Fin Consumption

Advocacy groups, including animal rights and environmental advocacy groups, are significant players in contributing and shaping the debate over the unsustainability of shark finning. These interest groups focus their efforts at the root of the problem—the consumers, largely in Asia, who eat shark fin soup as a symbol of their wealth. 

Richard Thomas is the communications director at Traffic, a wildlife trade monitoring network that works to ensure that trade does not threaten nature. Thomas, in an interview with the New York Times, warned that shark finning at current levels is unsustainable for the environment. “If sharks continue to be overfished at the current rate, it’s only a matter of a few years before the targeted species are extinct,” he said (Wassener 2010).

Overfishing has grown rapidly to the extent that many more shark species could soon be extinct. According to the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) website, in 1996, just 15 shark species were at threat of extinction; just fourteen years later, in 2010, more than 180 species are threatened by extinction (WWF Singapore 2013). The WWF, through its operations in Hong Kong, a global center of shark fin commerce and consumption, has been “promoting and educating the public on sustainable seafood,” including “engaging caters and corporations in Hong Kong not to serve and consume shark fin soup” (WWF Hong Kong 2013).

Environmental activists are trying to spread awareness about the problems associated with shark finning because of the large number of uninformed shark fin consumers. “Many people in China are simply not aware that shark finning is wasteful, cruel, and unsustainable,” said Michael Skoletsky, who is the founder and executive director of Shark Savers, an advocacy group based in New York City, in an interview with the New York Times (Wassener 2010).

Educating and spreading awareness among the public seems to be a common thread among environmental organizations advocating for the end of unsustainable shark finning. The website of Humane Society International (HSI), a group that advocates for animals rights, says that “raising awareness is key” because “many say they never realized what impact their consumption had on the environment” (HSI 2013).

Environmental and animal rights advocacy groups have an uphill battle ahead of them. With the standard of living in China rapidly rising, giving more people the economic means with which to feast on expensive shark fin soup, consumer education from animal rights and environmental advocacy groups has never been more important. 

WildAid is an advocacy group that aims to reduce and eventually end the illegal wildlife trade. This infographic from WildAid is an example of an effort by an advocacy group to educate the public about shark finning. (Karpus 2011)

Works Cited 
Humane Society International. (2013). Shark Finning. Humane Society International. Humane Society International. (Date Accessed: February 11, 2013) http://www.hsi.org/issues/shark_finning/

Karpus, K. (2011). “What is Shark Finning?” WildAid. WildAid. (Date Accessed: February 20, 2013).  http://www.wildaid.org/blog/what-shark-finning-infographic

 

Wassener, B. (2010). “Environmental Cost of Shark Finning is Getting Attention in Hong Kong.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company. (Date Accessed: February 9, 2013) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/21/business/global/21iht-green.html

WWF Hong Kong. (2013). Shark Fin Initiative. WWF Hong Kong. World Wildlife Fund. (Date Accessed: February 10, 2013) http://www.wwf.org.hk/en/whatwedo/footprint/seafood/sharkfin_initiative/

WWF Singapore. (2013). Say No to Shark Fin. WWF Singapore. World Wildlife Fund. (Date Accessed: February 10, 2013) http://www.wwf.sg/take_action/say_our_sharks/

Shark Finning: An attack on the Chinese Economy and Culture

Shark finning has quickly come to the forefront of environmental policy disputes throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. With escalating pressure from environmentalists and heightening popular support, many governments, including world leaders such as the United States, European Union, Australia, and Brazil, have already placed restrictions or bans on the shark fin trade.

            However, one major world economic and political power, China, remains the strongest supporter and legal defendant of the industry. The shark finning is a vital part of the economy of many middle class, coastal towns and cities throughout China. This multi million dollar industry has grown significantly over the past decade and has become deeply imbedded in the economic stability of these regions, as shark finning is a highly specialized trade. The exact effects cannot be quantified, but with a global ban of shark finning, China’s prosperous and globally vital fishing industry would face severe stagnation, including high unemployment for middle class fisherman. The economic effects faced by China would also cause further ripple effects throughout the global fishing market, hurting world trade, as well as increasing the severity of growing food shortages currently experienced by a majority of China’s population. This has already impacted trade shown by significant decrease in imports to Hong Kong, as seen in the graph below. This graph explains how trade between Hong Kong, a major importer and dealer of shark fins, and other major trade nations has slowed with the the ban on shark finning.(Clarke 2007)

Figure 1. Annual Shark Fin Imports to Hong Kong from the USA (◊ ) and the EU (■) and Total Hong Kong Imports (▲) (Clarke 2007)

Economics aside, a ban of shark finning is inherently racist. Shark fin soup, the major use of shark fins, is deeply embedded in Chinese culture. These bans have tended, in the words of California State Senator Leland Yee, to be, “too broad, banning the sale of the fins from properly fished sharks caught for their meat.” These bans are considered by many to be an attack on Asian culture and will cause significant backlash from the global Chinese population. (Kauffman 2013)


Works Cited

Clarke, S. (2007). Social, Economic, and Regulatory Drivers of the Shark Fin Trade. http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/47060/2/06-Clarke-03-12.pdf (Date Accessed: February 21, 2013).

Kauffman, J. (2013). Is Banning Shark's Fin Racist? SF Weekly. http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2011/02/is_banning_sharks_fin_racist.php (Date Accessed: February 21, 2013).

Shark Divers. (2012). Pro Shark Finning Talking Points - Got Counters? Shark Divers. http://sharkdivers.blogspot.com/2012/02/pro-shark-finning-talking-points-got.html  (Date Accessed: February 21, 2013).

SpeedEndurace. (2008). Shark Fin Soup and Benefits of Shark Cartilage. SpeedEndurance. http://speedendurance.com/2008/06/19/shark-fin-soup-and-benefits-of-shark-cartilage/ (Date Accessed: February 21, 2013).