Shark Finning: All for a Bowl of Soup By making available an enticing substitute for shark fin soup, the need for shark finning may become obsolete Tag Words: Shark Finning, Shark Fin Soup Authors: Samantha Albrecht, Shawn Murphy, Amanda Stupak, Renee Theroux, & Jangkyu Lee with Julie M. Fagan, Ph.D. Summary Due to increase of shark fin soup consumption in the Chinese culture, a large number of sharks are being killed by a form of illegal fishing called ‘shark finning’. Shark finning has been an issue since the late 1990s. As a result, many species of sharks are on the brink of extinction. An unbalanced food chain forces underwater ecosystems into extreme crisis. When any one species becomes extinct, the final impact is on humans. That is why most countries try to protect sharks by banning shark finning. The global response on shark finning and efforts on making the global standard to prevent extinction of sharks are becoming more serious. Unfortunately, shark finning fishers are encouraged to continue because the value of shark fins is elevated. Less the shark population, higher the price it is. One pound of died shark fin is worth almost $300. To prevent sharks being killed, we need to replace the shark fin soup in Chinese weddings and other special occasions, with something that is worth enough to symbolize wealth like an expensive shark fin. Video Link Shark Finning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0ulN7N52qI The Issue: Shark Finning What is Shark Finning Shark finning refers to a cruel and wasteful form of fishing in which sharks’ fins are harvested. Sharks are caught by the hundreds, pulled onto the boat and their fins are cut off one by one, usually while the animal is still alive. Once fishermen have harvested all the fins they can from the individual shark, their finless bodies are kicked back into the ocean. Unable to swim, these animals sink to the bottom of the ocean where they remain motionless until death. Finned sharks may die from hemorrhage, starvation, or predation by surrounding sea life. Why fin sharks? Shark Fin Soup The primary motivation for finning sharks is to produce shark fin soup. This dish, considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, has been prized for its texture and flavor. However, the shark fin is only responsible for the texture of the soup and itself is flavorless [17]. This soup’s flavor is derived from the chicken, pork, or vegetable stock that’s added to it [17]. In addition, this soup has also been accused of having many health benefits such as preventing cancer and combating aging. However, there is no scientific evidence to support these claims [18]. In fact, shark fins are very high in mercury which makes it a health risk rather than benefit. It has been advised that pregnant women and small children avoid this dish for that very reason. Shark fin soup’s mercury content has also been known to cause sterility in men [16]. Shark Fin Soup’s Place in the Chinese Culture Showing off wealth, power, and popularity are very delicate issues in the Chinese culture. These became a form of providing expensive food to the guests. It is an implied rule between host and guest in Chinese culture. Wealthy people must provide wealthy food to their guests. Even though host does not have enough wealth on his/her hand, Chinese people serve wealthy food to their guest during important meetings and weddings. That is why this expensive shark’s fin soup is very important method to show off a formal politeness. How are they caught? The main method of catching sharks for finning is through a form of fishing referred to as long-lining. A long line is cast over the span of 1-62 miles with fishing lines that plunge approximately 16 feet beneath the ocean’s surface [7]. Depending on the length of the line, there may be hundreds or thousands of hooked lines attached to the surface line. For fisherman to determine of location of hooked lines, buoys are placed on the surface. The hooks are baited with any meat that’s handy. This may include, but is not limited to fish, squid, and even dolphin meat [7]. After casting the line, fisherman may wait 12-24 hours before harvesting what’s been caught. During this time, animals are bound to this small stretch of ocean, frequently entangled in the line attached to the hook. When it comes time to harvest catch, animals are dragged onto the boat by the line. If sharks are pulled onto the boat, they are finned and thrown back into the ocean, frequently still alive. Unfortunately, long-lining is an indiscriminant form of fishing that also entangles unwanted species, called bycatch. Bycatch may be fish, Albatross caught in long-line marine mammals, sea turtles and even birds. While the general practice is to throw bycatch back into the ocean, many of these animals are unable to survive long enough to be re-released [8]. Hammerhead shark caught by long line Nurse Shark caught by long line Sharks & and the Ecosystem Sharks play a vital role in the ocean’s ecosystems. Because there are so many different species, they range from filter feeders eating plankton to apex predators eating a variety of other marine animals. The diversity within this group of animals means that many different consequences will result as their numbers are depleted. For example, the United States has noted a marked decrease in the shellfish population. Research has shown that this is being caused by an increase in the stingray and jellyfish population which are commonly controlled by sharks. With the shark population dwindling, however, stingrays and jellyfish numbers are booming past sustainability. Beyond the inconvenience to humans, depleted shellfish populations will have detrimental effects on the ocean’s water quality. Shellfish are responsible for filtering water from our oceans and maintaining a healthy living environment for other sea creatures [1]. Without them, all other species could be in danger. Damaged ecosystems are also leading to economic hardships. In Tasmania, a spiny lobster fishery collapsed as the octopus population soared. In this area, sharks would normally keep the octopus population at manageable numbers. With their demise, however, the octopuses are consuming more than their fair share of lobster. In addition to predation, many species of sharks are also responsible for keeping our oceans clean and healthy. Sharks most commonly prey upon the sick, dying, or dead. They consume the carcasses of everything from small fish to giant whales. Sharks also promote healthy schools of fish by feeding on the weaker individuals. About Sharks: Why they’re vulnerable to over-fishing Sharks have been a part of this planet for the past 400 million years. As it is known now, there are approximately 400 different species of shark all varying in size, purpose and life style [4]. Each different species has a different mode of reproduction; some lay eggs, some have live births. With all this diversity, however, many shark species have a couple things in common. Firstly, they tend to produce few young at a given time. Even those that lay eggs only lay a few that may take as long as 6-8 months to hatch compared to some fish that lay eggs in the hundreds. In addition, those that have live births also tend to have long gestation periods averaging between 9-12 months and do not reproduce annually. Frequently, females will take a break from reproduction for 1-2 years between pregnancies. Finally, sharks are very slow- growing animals that reach sexual maturity only after several years of life. A rough average for sexual maturity is between 15-20 years depending on the species [10]. Species that have been effected: Spiny dogfish Shark The spiny dogfish shark is a small species that ranges continental shelf. They are a small species approximately 2 feet in length when fully mature. Their diet includes a variety of fish, jellyfish, squid, etc. While males reach maturity around 6 years of age, females’ sexual maturity is achieved at age 12. This species has a gestation period of 2 years delivering live litters of 1-20 pups per pregnancy. They are currently listed in IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [10]. Great white shark The Great White shark is the largest predatory fish in the world. Its diet includes a variety of marine mammals, fish, and birds as well as carcasses. They have live births producing litters of 4-14 pups and take between 10-12 years to reach sexual maturity. Throughout their lifetime, they will usually produce 4-6 litters. Their life expectancy is not well known, however, the oldest recorded great white was 36 [10]. This well known species was listed on CITIES appendix II in 2004 and ICUN Red List as vulnerable. Its primary predator is humans with an occasional threat from orcas and larger sharks [10]. Whale Shark The whale shark is the largest fish in the world. Its diet primarily includes plankton and fish eggs while accidentally ingesting some fish. This gentle giant is an open-ocean species. This means even if it is protected in some areas from shark finning, it may easily enter areas where no protection is rendered [10]. Unfortunately, little is known about this species. Their sexual maturity is estimated at 30 years of age [14]. In the recent past, the whale shark was a common sighting in a reef off the coast of Australia. They even had tourist attractions set up for them! However, their decrease in numbers has led not only to fewer sightings, but also smaller whale sharks.