Once the sole provenance of Chinese aristocracy because it was hard to get and ridiculously expensive, shark fin soup is now a high-priced delicacy available in chic restaurants around the world.
Problem is, the practice involves slicing off the fins – including the tail – and then dumping the defenseless shark, often still alive, overboard. The shark sinks to the bottom and drowns or is eaten by other fish because it is unable to swim, and thus ventilate the gills to take in oxygen. The impact is significant, with some estimates ranging between 26 and 73 million sharks killed a year, mostly for their fins. Some conservationists fear the global demand for shark fin soup as a status symbol delicacy is pushing some populations toward perilous declines and possible extinction.
No matter how you look at it, the practice is gruesome, and a waste.
So it’s encouraging to see some local enforcement pay off. Marshall Islands officials recently seized a Japanese vessel’s haul of nearly 1,500 pounds of shark fins and 60,000 pounds of shark meat and fined the vessel $125,000. While it is a blip on the global picture, the seizure and fine are important for raising the visibility of the issue and serving notice that shark finning isn’t legal everywhere. This was the first fine of its kind in Marshall Islands waters.
In fact, local legislation and enforcement – along with education – are the most effective tools for slowing the practice and limiting the trade of shark fins. U.S.-registered vessels are currently banned from the practice by federal law, but foreign-registered vessels continue to ply U.S. waters for shark fins and sell them to restaurants in the U.S. and elsewhere. States such as Hawaii, California, Oregon and Washington have already passed legislation banning the sale, possession and distribution of shark fins.
Five other states, including Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, New York and New Jersey are considering similar legislation.
If the concept of shark finning gets under your skin, check to see if your state has any measure in the works for banning the practice. If not, perhaps it’s time to start pushing some buttons and contact your state representative or senator.
Follow this link for some more interesting reading about the practice and its impact: http://www.sharkwater.com/education.htm.
Colles Stowell
GreenFish – By Anglers | For Fish
