Controversy about shark wings

The voice against eating shark fin points out that the high price of shark fin attracts fishermen from all over the world to kill sharks in the sea. Because the value of shark meat is very low, shark fin fishermen only cut off shark fins and throw them back into the sea after catching them, so as to reserve more space for storing shark fins with higher value. These sharks will not die immediately, but they will suffocate and die because they lose their cruising ability, or they will be killed by other sharks. Some groups concerned about animals and ecology have done a lot of publicity, asking the public not to eat shark fin. The main reason is not only that the process of killing shark fins is cruel, but also that the total number of sharks has been greatly reduced-by 90% in the past 30 years. Killing a large number of sharks at the top of the pyramid of marine ecosystem will also lead to the outbreak of a large number of small and medium-sized fish due to the loss of natural enemies, thus seriously disrupting the entire marine ecological balance.

At present, shark fin mainly comes from the non-endangered blue shark and blue shark, but there is no legislation to ban endangered species in shark fishing areas, which poses a great threat to the survival of endangered species. Experts pointed out that with the rapid development of China's economy, the demand for shark fins has risen sharply, which will pose a great threat to the overall survival of sharks.

Reactions from all walks of life

On June 5438+February 65438+February 2009, the ceremony of "Shark Protection Ambassador" Yao Ming, "Join hands with one heart and infinite vitality-Yao Ming joins hands with American wildaid Association to launch public service advertisements for shark protection worldwide" was held in Shanghai. At the ceremony, Yao Ming and the Shanghai Men's Basketball Team solemnly issued a declaration: "Refuse to eat shark's fin, protect wild animals, start with me!"

On May 28th, 20 10, the Governor of Hawaii, Ringo, signed a bill, which was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, prohibiting restaurants from selling shark fins and prohibiting people from buying and selling shark fins. Offenders will be fined between $5,000 and15,000, and three offenders will be sentenced to one year's imprisonment in addition to committing crimes.

20 1 165438 Fang Wenzhong, a Chinese Congressman from Silicon Valley, California, and Hoffman, a Congressman from Southern California, jointly proposed the AB376 bill in the State House of Representatives. The bill was passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate in September, and the sale, possession and sale of shark fins were prohibited from 20 13. The bill has been submitted to the Governor of Jerry Brown for signature into law.

201110/October, Taiwan Province province announced that it was forbidden to import shark fin caught by net.

201110/On October 25th, the Toronto City Council of Canada passed a law prohibiting the sale of shark fins in Brantford, Oakville and Mississauga.

1October 20th1165438+21day, Hong Kong Peninsula Hotel announced that it would stop serving shark fin dishes from1October 20th121day, becoming the first shark fin dish in Hong Kong.

At the Fourth Session of the 11th National People's Congress of China held in March, 20 1 1, more than 30 NPC deputies, including Ding and Guo Guangchang, jointly put forward the Proposal on Requiring the Formulation of Regulations on Prohibiting Eating Shark's Fin for Official Business and Official Banquet, suggesting that shark's fin trade be prohibited by legislative means to protect the marine ecological balance.

On 20121kloc-0/7, hotels, restaurants and banquet places under Shangri-La Hotel Group completely stopped selling shark fin food.

On June 29th, 20 12, it was reported on the Internet that the Administration of Organs Affairs of the State Council, China had adopted the Proposal on Prohibiting Eating Shark's Fines in Official Business and Official Banquet put forward by Ding et al., and officially sent a letter to Ding (letter (20 12) No.21). On July 2, the same year, the the State Council Municipal Bureau of Organs Affairs confirmed the truth of this rumor, saying that it would issue a document within three years stipulating that official receptions should not eat shark fin.

20 12 On July 20th, the "Shark Sustainable Utilization Conference" sponsored by China Aquatic Products Processing Association was held in Beijing. People in the industry object to the statement that "eating shark's fin leads to shark's survival crisis", and think that China fishermen will catch sharks while catching economic fish. The consumption of shark fin is not the consumption of endangered species, but the utilization of waste.

On may 7th, 20 13, the Senate of new york of the United States unanimously passed the proposal to ban shark fin trade.

Saving sharks and refusing to eat shark fins are not different cultures.

For 400 million years, it is because of the existence of sharks that the whole marine ecosystem has remained stable, thus shaping the life history of the world and the whole land. However, this ancient species that has existed on the earth for hundreds of millions of years is now facing extinction. Due to the huge profits from shark fin trading, a large number of sharks have been killed. Due to the lack of scientific understanding of sharks, the killing of sharks is not restricted too much, and the number of sharks is decreasing sharply.

Someone once said, "Sharks are hunted in large quantities in western society, hunting for fish oil and other ingredients, and their shark fins are discarded in large quantities, but the United States and other places prohibit eating shark fins." That was not the case. Western society has begun to ban shark hunting on a large scale or completely.

The following content comes from Baidu Library-Professional Information-Great White Sharks and Sharks.

Today, Costa Rica, Brazil, Canada, Oman and other countries have completely banned shark fishing. The United States has issued a ban on shark fishing in the territorial waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Hawaii, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Australia prohibits all tuna fishing boats in the Federation from catching sharks, and the fishing range is 200-300 square nautical miles from the coast. All fishing boats in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia are prohibited from catching sharks, but they are not prohibited in South Australia, Queensland, Northern Territory and territorial waters, including non-tuna marine fishing in the Federation. All these regulations on shark protection are not only aimed at the shark fin industry.

Some countries began to take stricter measures to prevent the extinction of sharks in their territorial waters. In 200 1 year, the Republic of Congo completely banned shark fishing in its territorial waters. India has also implemented a similar fishing ban, but it has not been fully implemented due to the strong participation and complaints of the business community and fishermen.

The British government plans to contact CITES on the shark protection plan in 2000, seeking to list basking sharks as second-class protected animals and ban the trading of this shark product. The Australian government suggested that the great white shark be included in the list of the first protected animals in the world, and the trade of great white shark products was banned globally. Tiger sharks are now protected in the United States, Honduras, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Maldives and many other countries. Due to its strong attraction, this species will also be included in the first list of protected species.

Original shape

1. White-spotted star shark, slender, generally within1m. The head is wide, the kiss is slightly thick, and the front end is blunt. The eyes are oval, instantly brown and exposed horizontally, and there are small water spray holes behind the eyes. The nostril is located at 1/3 from the mouth to the kiss, and has a alar. The mouth is triangular, with lip folds from the snout. The upper lip fold is wide, flat and long, and the lower lip fold is narrow and short. Teeth are small and numerous, arranged like stones. There are five gill holes, the first three of which are wider and larger than the diameter of the eye. The last two are narrow and located above the pectoral fin. There are 2 dorsal fins, 1 dorsal fin is about above the middle part of the body cavity, the upper corner is round and blunt, the rear edge is concave, and the lower corner extends with a sharp process. The second dorsal fin is slightly smaller and similar in shape. The gluteal fin is small, and the starting point is opposite to the middle of the base of the second dorsal fin. The pectoral fin is large, starting from below the fifth branchial foramen, and its trailing edge is inclined or slightly concave. The ventral fin is located below the first half of the dorsal fin septum, and its internal angle is sharp. The caudal fin is long and narrow, the upper leaf is straight and slightly narrow, the front of the lower leaf is slightly prominent, there is a notch in the middle and back, and the back is triangular. The back and upper side are grayish brown, with many irregular white spots scattered along the lateral line and above; The fins are brown with shallow edges, and the lower surface and ventral surface are silvery white.

2. The body is slender and about 1m long. The head is flat, the snout is of medium length, and the rear view is nearly triangular. The eyes are oval. Nose is wide, there is a tongue-shaped protrusion in the middle of the front nasal flap, and the water outlet is half exposed. The mouth is quite small, triangular, with sloping sides, blunt front end and slightly shorter jaw. When the mouth is closed, all the maxillary teeth are exposed, and the mandibular teeth are only exposed at the suture. The upper lip fold is thick and short, the lower lip fold is thin and long, and the teeth are small and numerous, arranged like stones. The spray hole is small, transverse oval, with sharp ends, located at the back and lower corner of the eye. There are 5 gill holes, which are narrow, and the last 2 are located above the base of pectoral fin. There are 2 dorsal fins, and the dorsal fin at 1 is quite large and relatively backward, with a blunt upper corner, a concave rear edge and a sharp point extending from the lower corner. The second dorsal fin is slightly smaller, with a blunt upper corner, a deep concave rear edge and a pointed lower corner. The ventral fin is slightly smaller than the second dorsal fin, and the fin foot is flat and slender. The pectoral fin is of medium size. The back of the body is brown, the ventral surface is white, the fins are purple-brown, the trailing edge is shallow, and there is no white spot on the body surface.

3. The body is slender, with a body length of1-1.5m. The head is wide, flat and long, the kiss is long, and the front edge is narrow and sharp. The eyes are oval, with no transient membrane, and the nostrils are medium-large, with several flat and horizontal, the mouth is shallow and curved, close to the horizontal line, the upper lip is wide and flat, and the lower lip is short. The upper and lower teeth are of the same type, and the lower teeth are slightly wider. The water spray holes are kidney-shaped and quite large, and the five gill holes are quite small. There are 2 dorsal fins, each with 1 spines. The starting point of dorsal fin 1 is opposite to or later than the internal angle of pectoral fin, and the second dorsal fin is smaller and closer to the ventral fin. The anal fin disappeared. The pectoral fin is quite wide, and the tip of the fin extends below the hard spine of 1 dorsal fin. The ventral fin is almost square, which is located under the back half between the two dorsal fins. The caudal fin is short and wide, broom-shaped, the upper leaf is developed, and the back of the lower leaf is not engraved. The body is grayish brown and the abdomen is white. There are two rows of longitudinal round or long white spots on the back and upper side of larvae, which decrease with age, and only a few inconspicuous white spots remain on the upper side of adults. Fins are dark brown.

Hierarchical distribution

Shark fin is divided into six colors: yellow, white, gray, blue, black and mixed (yellow-white), of which yellow, white and gray are the best. Due to different producing areas and baking methods, there are fresh water wings and salt water wings. Fresh water wings are dried in the sun or soaked in lime water, and the quality is good; Salt water wings are impregnated with salt water, and the quality is not as good as that of fresh water wings. Shark fin can also be classified according to whether its shape is complete or not. When it swells up, it becomes a whole wing, called a row wing, which is the top grade; After rising, it spreads out into strips, which is called scattered wings and has defects.

Shark fin is mainly produced in Guangdong, Fujian, Taiwan Province, Zhejiang, Shandong and other coastal provinces and South China Sea islands. Japan, the United States, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and other places have production. Generally speaking, the imported shark fin is the top grade of Lu Zonghuang in the Philippines.

nutrition

The reason why shark's fin is edible is that it contains a kind of vermicelli-like tendon, which contains about 80% protein and minerals such as fat and sugar. Shark fin is a precious cooking material, but its nutritional value is not very high, because protein contained in shark fin lacks an essential amino acid (tryptophan), which is an incomplete protein.

source

The basic source of medicinal materials: the fins of the white-spotted star shark or other sharks in the family Sharidae;

Latin plant and animal mineral name: Mustelus manazo Bleeker

Habitat distribution

Ecological environment: 1. Live near the sea. Feeding on mollusks, shrimp, crabs and small fish. Viviparous, with more than 10 babies per birth.

2. Habitat in warm coastal waters. Mainly crustaceans. Viviparous, with more than 10 babies per fetus.

3. Living in coastal areas, the optimum temperature is 6- 14℃, and it swims back with the seasonal change of water temperature, mainly feeding on small fish and invertebrates. The viviparous birth rate is 10- 13.

Resource distribution: 1. China is distributed in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea.

2. China is distributed in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea.

3. China is distributed in Yellow Sea and East China Sea.

chemical composition

Shark fin contains elastin and various amino acids.

Sweet in nature; gender equality

Meridian-entering kidney; Lung; Stomach meridian

The function is mainly to replenish qi; Invigorating deficiency; Appetite. The Lord is in vain; Stomach deficiency; diarrhea

Oral administration and dosage: steaming, moderate amount; Or carbonization and grinding.

Excerpts from Chinese Materia Medica

Modern medical interpretation science researchers have confirmed that the nutritional value of a bowl of shark fin is no more than that of an egg.

Toxic and harmful components

objectionable constituents

The research of an environmental investigation team shows that shark fin soup contains high concentration of toxic substance-mercury, which is harmful to the higher nervous system of human body. Two random toxicity tests on shark fin sold in Bangkok show that the mercury pollution of shark fin, a delicious and high-grade nutrient, is as high as 70%, and the proportion of mercury that can be absorbed by human body has exceeded the normal allowable content by 42 times. The source of mercury is untreated wastewater. Australia and New Zealand also warned China people, especially reminding pregnant women not to eat shark meat. Because excessive intake of mercury will cause great harm to pregnant women and children, especially affecting the generation of children's brains and nerve cells. Most of the mercury in shark fin comes from polluted seawater, and sharks are at the highest position in the food chain, so the mercury in their bodies can always accumulate more and more.

Nowadays, people regard shark fin as a delicious food and a good tonic, and there is a "shark fin fever". According to statistics, this popular science wall chart exhibition jointly organized by the Municipal Association for Science and Technology, the International Wildlife Federation and the Guangzhou Aquarium aims to let the public know more about sharks and not eat shark fins.

According to the person in charge of Guangzhou Aquarium, the Department of Ecology and Taxonomy of the University of Hong Kong conducted a study on shark fin. Studies have found that shark fin contains more mercury or other heavy metals than other fish. This is because human beings constantly discharge industrial wastewater into the ocean, which makes the content of heavy metals such as mercury in seawater high and marine life also affected. Sharks are at the top of the marine food chain and often accumulate a lot of pollution toxins in their bodies. In addition to causing male infertility, if the content in human body is too high, mercury will also damage the central nervous system and kidneys. So eating more shark meat and shark fin may be harmful to human body.

According to the Huffington Post this morning, a new study in the United States shows that shark fin making not only makes a large number of sharks endangered, but also may lead to Alzheimer's disease due to its high concentration of neurotoxin.

According to the report, the study was published in the latest issue of Marine Medicine. After analyzing shark fins in Florida, scientists at the University of Miami found that sharks contain high concentrations of β-methylamino -L- alanine (BMAA), a neurotoxin associated with brain degeneration and Gerecke's disease. Experts believe that eating shark meat and shark cartilage may endanger the health of consumers.

Scientists * * * tested seven kinds of sharks, namely black nose shark, black fin reef shark, narrow-headed hammerhead shark, bull shark, big hammerhead shark, lemon shark and nurse shark. The concentrations of BMAA in these shark meat samples ranged from 144 to 1838 nanograms per mg, which were similar to those found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease and Gerecke's disease.

The researchers said that the concentration of BMAA in the sample is worrying, which exists not only in shark fin, but also in other foods such as health care products consumed by human beings. Despite this, as many as 70 million sharks have their fins cut off every year and then thrown back into the sea to die. "No buying and selling, no killing", and the researchers hope that the results of this study will help discourage shark fin cutting.

This neurotoxin can destroy nerves.

"The structure of β-methylamino -L- alanine is somewhat similar to that of amino acids, but because there are more methylamino groups in amino acids than alanine, it becomes an' amino acid' with neurotoxin that cannot form protein." Liu Qingchun, nutritionist, deputy director of the Nutrition Department of the Armed Police General Hospital, said. This neurotoxin will cause damage to the nervous system, which will lead to muscle atrophy and affect the digestive system and respiratory system. Finally, he died without eating. However, β-methylamino -L- alanine is not common, so there is no standard for its toxic lethal dose.

This substance can be found in the seeds of Cycadaceae plants and also in sharks, so eating it may be harmful to the health. Our most common food related to sharks is shark fin.

Eat less shark fin.

Dr Julia Baum, an expert from IUCN Shark Group, revealed the plan to put sharks on the endangered species list when attending the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston, USA. Baum, an expert in marine ecology at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, USA, said at the meeting: "The sharks in our oceans are going to disappear, and this problem is global. If we don't take any measures, we are likely to see several kinds of sharks extinct in our lifetime. "

Social viewpoint

Most people in China know shark fin, but many people don't know what it has to do with sharks. Shark's fin has never been just a dish in China. At the end of June, 2065438+02, the State Council Municipal Bureau of Organs Affairs made it clear that it would issue a document stipulating that official receptions should not eat shark fin.

Some people say that a "war" on shark fin has just begun.

Mr. Liu told China Economic Weekly that shark fin consumers are generally high-end, mainly concentrated in wealthy businessmen, officials and celebrity artists. "We are positioned at 1% population and can afford our products."

Some high-end catering enterprises began to change their attitudes towards shark fin.

On June+10, 5438, the giant gourmet catering group distributed shark fin soup to Taiyuan citizens free of charge. The chairman of the company said that in order to protect sharks, the company decided to give up shark fin products from 20 12 New Year's Day, but because of the large inventory, it was a pity to destroy it, so it was given to the public free of charge.

Several hotels in Nanjing, Xi and Hangzhou announced that they would stop serving shark fin. This change is closely related to the non-governmental environmental protection action represented by Yao Ming's refusal to eat shark fin public service advertisements.

The intensified "shark fin war"

The advertiser of Yao Ming's "Refuse to Eat Shark's Fin" public service advertisement is Wilaid's China office (hereinafter referred to as "Wilaid's China office"). This is a global non-profit organization composed of environmental volunteers. Wen Zi, the chief representative of the China office of wild rescue organization, told China Economic Weekly that in order to raise public awareness of animal protection, in 2006, the China office of wild rescue organization invited Yao Ming to shoot a public service advertisement as an ambassador for shark protection. In addition, Li Ning, Guo Jingjing and other sports stars were invited to do public service advertisements to protect animals.

With the participation of more and more performing stars and well-known entrepreneurs, the appeal of "refusing to eat shark fin and protecting sharks" has undoubtedly attracted more attention.

In April 2009, hundreds of entrepreneurs, including Liu Chuanzhi, Wang Shi and Ma Yun, called for starting from themselves, "protecting sharks and refusing to eat shark fin", influencing the main consumer groups of shark fin with actions, and signed "I don't eat shark fin; I don't give shark fin as a gift; Use your own actions to actively influence friends and relatives around you.

20 1 1 In August, Wang Xiaofei, president of South Beauty Group, launched an action of refusing to eat shark's fin in his Weibo, and said that from June 5438+00, all dishes related to shark's fin would be cancelled in South Beauty's new menu. This move has been supported by many stars such as Shu Qi, Faye Wong and Cai Kangyong.

20 12 During the National People's Congress (), Yu, a member of the CPPCC and chairman of New Oriental Education Technology Group, said in Weibo that he signed in support of the proposal of CPPCC member and chairman of Yachang Enterprise (Group) on "refusing to eat shark fin". More than 30 NPC deputies, including Ding, also submitted a proposal on banning official banquets and eating shark fin.

Wen Zi told China Economic Weekly: "When the office of the Wildlife Rescue Organization was established in China in 2004, many people in China knew nothing about wildlife protection. In recent years, China has made remarkable progress in environmental protection, and its development speed is unbelievable. For example, in 2005, we did a survey, and 75% people didn't know that shark fin was shark fin. In 20 10, we conducted another survey, and 56% of people showed that in April of 201/kloc-0, China IT Summit Forum was held in Shenzhen. According to media reports, before the meeting, the Shenzhen Municipal Government told the forum organizing committee, "Don't worry, there is no shark fin at the banquet of the Shenzhen Municipal Government. "

2065438+At the beginning of June, 2002, Pu Yin Town, Yueqing City, Zhejiang Province, a distribution center of shark products in China, issued a new official reception regulation: shark fin and abalone are not allowed to attend.

At the end of June, 2065438+02, the State Council Municipal Bureau of Organs Affairs made it clear that it would issue a document stipulating that official receptions should not eat shark fin.

Everyone saw our public service advertisement about shark protection, and 82% people said they refused to eat shark fin or reduced their consumption of shark fin. What is particularly encouraging this time is that after the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Association voiced its voice, most media and the public expressed their support for refusing to eat shark fin. "

In Hong Kong, the "shark fin capital", the wave of boycotting shark fins is even more fierce. 20 10 Citibank in Hong Kong launched the activity of "swipe your card to enjoy shark fin discount", which triggered public condemnation and ended hastily. Since Peninsula Hotel Group announced that it would stop selling shark fin on June 5438+065438+ 10, according to the report of China Business News, 1 12 enterprises and institutions have promised to stop eating shark fin.

This undoubtedly makes the shark fin related industries feel a little chilly.

The chill in the industry

According to data released by FAO and some environmental protection organizations, Asia is the largest market for shark fin. China is a very important market among the major importers of shark fin in the world. From 2000 to 2005, in the ranking of imported salt shark fin, the top three were Hongkong, China, Chinese mainland, China and Macau, China.

Hong Kong is the world's largest shark fin re-export trade center. According to data from Oceana and the internationally renowned ecological journal EcologyLetters, more than 50% of the global shark fin trade passes through Hong Kong.

In 2005, Hong Kong imported 5,776 tons of dried shark fin and 4,572 tons of frozen shark fin. A wholesaler at Shenzhen Dongmen Seafood Market said that the wholesale price of shark fin ranged from 1.200 yuan to 2,500 yuan/kg. Roughly estimated at the price of 2000 yuan/kg, in 2005, the total amount of shark fin imported by Hong Kong exceeded 40 billion yuan.

Pu Yin Town, Yueqing City, Zhejiang Province is known as "China Shark Processing Base". According to media reports, 90% of sharks that enter China after being captured every year will be sent to this small town with only 1 1 square kilometer and processed in more than 20 shark factories; In 20 10, the annual output value of aquaculture in the town was 400 million yuan, of which shark processing accounted for10 million yuan, and shark fin was the most valuable, accounting for more than 70% of the profits.

Wang Yamin, an associate professor at the School of Oceanography of Shandong University (Weihai), who has been engaged in shark protection and research for a long time, told China Economic Weekly: "The shark fin in China is mainly imported, and the domestic production is almost negligible. The main benefits of shark fin flow to traders, processors and final food suppliers. The benefits of shark fin are amazing and almost profiteering. "

In Shenzhen Dongmen Seafood Market and Futian Agricultural Wholesale Market, the price of shark fin varies from 10 yuan/kg to 10000 yuan/kg. A wholesaler told reporters that there are two kinds of shark fins: real shark fins and synthetic wings. The wholesale price of real shark fin is generally 1200 yuan ~ 2,500 yuan/kg. Synthetic wings, also known as vegetarian shark fins, are made of starch. 20 yuan a kilo sells well, with an average of several hundred kilos a day.

According to an insider, the price of shark fin purchased by most restaurants ranges from 600 yuan to 800 yuan/kg, and the cost of a bowl of authentic shark fin soup is around 60 yuan. The shark fin soup made of a pound of vegetarian shark fin for 20 yuan only costs a few dollars. About 40% of the shark fins consumed in the domestic market are "vegetarian shark fins". The huge profits of shark fin industry are not in processing and wholesale, but in catering industry.

Yide Road in Guangzhou is known as the largest seafood dry goods wholesale market in Southeast Asia. "Now the environment is not good. On the one hand, the cost is rising, and on the other hand, the shark fin cannot be sold, and the profit rate is as low as 5% ~ 10%. " Wu, secretary-general of Guangzhou Seafood and Dried Fruit Industry Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview with the media, "10 years ago, Yide Road accounted for 70% of the national seafood trading volume, but now the sales volume is less than the original 10%."

Lin Dinggui, head of the Ecological Protection Committee of the Hong Kong Seafood Import and Export Chamber of Commerce, said that there are about 1000 people engaged in shark fin trade in Hong Kong, and many of their peers have lost their business and some have changed careers.

In addition to the decrease in the number of sharks, the resistance of non-governmental environmentalists to shark fins is also considered to have affected the sales of shark fins to some extent.

In an interview with the media, the person in charge of the "China Zero Shark's Fin" campaign advocated by non-governmental public welfare organizations said that in recent years, some Hong Kong government departments, organizations and individuals have taken the initiative to reduce shark's fin and switch to stewed meat. Sales of shark fin in Hong Kong decreased by about 15%.

According to the investigation in The New York Times, the sales of shark fin in the summer of 20 1 1 decreased by one third in China, Hongkong, China and Taiwan Province Province, China. Due to the continued sluggish demand, the wholesale price of shark fin has dropped by 20%. There are indications that substantial progress has been made in the protection of the shark fin industry center (Hong Kong).

In May, Hong Kong Seafood Import and Export Chamber of Commerce (MPA) publicly protested that Hong Kong environmental protection organizations petitioned the Hong Kong government, hoping to hold an official banquet to reject shark fin.

In July, the "Conference on Sustainable Utilization of Sharks" sponsored by China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Association (hereinafter referred to as "China Fishery Association") was held in Beijing. At the meeting, some experts said that shark fishing along the coast of China was by-catch, and there was no special shark fishing operation, so the shark population basically kept a balance. In addition, as long as there is economic fish fishing, there must be shark fishing, and the sharks caught can hardly survive, so it is a waste of resources if they are not used.

Some people say that the domestic shark fin industry has begun to fight back.

Protect sharks

At a conference on sustainable utilization of sharks held in Beijing, the organizer, China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Association, held that the traditional shark fin consumption culture in China has been unfairly evaluated by the international community, which has caused misunderstanding to consumers and damaged the international image of China fishery. It would be a great waste to refuse to eat shark fin. (20 12 August 16 Guangzhou Daily)

Is shark fin a traditional food culture? People who eat shark fin are mainly Asian Chinese, and shark fin has always been considered as a valuable ingredient. From this point of view, shark's fin as a food culture tradition is no problem.

So, should shark fins be discarded? In my opinion, whether any traditional diet should be abandoned does not depend on whether it is nutritious or not. In that case, China's moon cakes should have been discarded as "dross" a long time ago. Cruelty is just a false excuse found by opponents, because shark fishing is not cruel at all in the meat processing industry. Fishermen also pointed out that shark cutting does not exist by analyzing the value of sharks. If opponents think shark cutting is a common phenomenon, they need to produce evidence. In the final analysis, whether a cultural tradition should be abandoned depends mainly on whether it violates hard factors such as morality, justice and environmental protection. If so, can the tradition of China women's foot-binding and literati writing stereotyped writing still be preserved? Because it does not violate morality, female foot-binding conforms to the aesthetics of the Chinese nation for thousands of years, and stereotyped writing is only a literary genre. Shouldn't these be abandoned? The reason why shark's fin is regarded as a precious food is that it has almost no value, all because of the vanity and luxury "tradition" that China people should have abandoned a long time ago. )

For example, the author has always opposed westerners eating foie gras and caviar (the real high-grade caviar can only be taken out from three kinds of living rare fish). However, the French finally proved that the enlargement of foie gras was "the result of goose mutation", not the fatty liver of normal geese, and then the president came forward to support this French "cultural tradition", which I can only accept. As for caviar, nobody cares, and the bosses still eat it.

The number of sharks caught is the focus of debate between fishery associations supporting wing-eating and various environmental organizations opposing wing-eating. NGO only says that there are 73 million sharks every year (by the way, it has been said that there are 73 million sharks every year for more than ten years. How many sharks are there? ) Sharks Because shark fin soup is on the verge of extinction, supporters have repeatedly asked NGOs to explain the source of 73 million yuan, but NGOs have never responded positively. The author has also studied, and this data is obtained through some sample surveys in the Hong Kong market. In the report released by WWF in Singapore, this figure is a very uncertain interval value, ranging from 26 million to 73 million, which means that WWF and researchers themselves dare not make an accurate judgment on this figure, even quite inaccurate. NGO has increased this number to 1 1 000 sharks per hour, which is equivalent to 1 100 million sharks per year! The Hong Kong Seafood Import and Export Chamber of Commerce, a supporter of the Fishery Association, has repeatedly emphasized FAO data, namely the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. FAO draws its conclusions by summarizing the statistical data reported by member countries around the world. Although it may not be complete, the number of samples is much larger. The Seafood Chamber of Commerce claims that FAO's figures are far below those published by non-governmental organizations. However, I didn't find the relevant data from FAO's website. I hope the seafood chamber of commerce can come up with FAO's report to prove this point. In a word, what is the real living state of sharks? Who can give authoritative evidence and statement?

In fact, the focus of the shark fin war is not culture at all, or even endangered and environmental protection. The essence of shark fin is the wrestling between two social classes, and in terms of the number of people, one of them has an absolute advantage. Shark fin does not belong to the daily consumption of ordinary people, so people who eat shark fin have either money or power. So people who don't eat shark's fin are going to unite so that those people can't eat shark's fin. But is this a real victory?

It seems a bit far-fetched to protect sharks only by banning wings. Are we going to eliminate the shark fin culture that lasted from the Ming Dynasty to this day? Protecting sharks is not advertising slogans. We need visible facts, reasonable reasons and powerful measures to protect sharks.