Shocking truth of the shark fin trade in Hong Kong... Very Graphic

I stumbled across an absolutely shocking article which shows the true scale of sharks being killed in the name of making soup and looking like a rich person.

The images that were horrific were showing shark fins by the ten of thousands drying on a factory rooftop in the sun.

I have posted a thread on shark fins previously , and yet again i am more shocked and disgusted than ever.

The world need to stand up to these acts of deplorable violence and mindless killing all in the stance of keeping a few bellies happy.

Hong Kong conservationists expressed outrage Thursday after images emerged of a factory rooftop covered in thousands of freshly sliced shark fins, as they called for curbs on the "barbaric" trade. The southern Chinese city is one of the world's biggest markets for shark fins, which are used to make soup that is an expensive staple at Chinese banquets and viewed by many Asians as a rare delicacy. Activist Gary Stokes who has visited the site estimated there are 15,000 to 20,000 fins being laid to dry on the rooftop on Hong Kong island ahead of an anticipated surge in demand over Lunar New Year in February this year. [Related: Slideshow: Anger as thousands of shark fins are left drying on Hong Kong rooftop] "This is shocking," the Hong Kong coordinator for conservation group Sea Shepherd told AFP, saying it was the first time that he has spotted such a massive hoarding of shark fins in one place in the Asian financial hub. "This is the most graphic, brutal and barbaric part of the industry -- the element of chopping a shark's fin off and throwing it back into the water is horrific and inhumane," he added. Stokes believed the large amount of shark fins were destined for China, and that traders moved to dry the shark fins on secluded rooftops instead of sidewalks -- as they have done in the past -- to avoid public anger.

Outrage over Hong Kongs shark fin rooftop


Surely this must not continue and something must be done to stop it!

What are your views on this horrific topic ?

How can we make this stop ? Afterall... they're our oceans too !

That's a lot of soup!!!

reply to post by the2010apprentice


I wonder how many of those fins will go to waste.

I'm on board for nourishment of the human race, but this sort of mass consumption/killing of a predatory species (big part of food chain) gets on my nerves. Goes hand in hand with how disgustingly high the world population is.

Is there no edible or practical use for the rest of the shark?? Surely it has edible areas left going to waste, or parts that could be used somehow in other industries?

I'm not advocating shark fin soup (I think it sounds really gross, personally) but I have to wonder how much of the rest of the shark is going to total waste dying a unimaginable death for nothing but it's fins if it could be used in some other manner.

This looks like another prohibition issue - Should sharks fins be banned on the market?

Problem: Many sharks are being caught and having their fins cut off, then throwing the body of the shark back in the ocean to twitch around until dead.

Should fishing boats be banned?
Should knives be banned? They are cutting the fins off from the shark.
Or should just the shark fins be banned, which creates a black market?

How about making a law that prohibits shark fin soup from being sold?
Maybe a law should be made that makes a public execution of any leaders of the shark fin trade.

Or perhaps... The public changes their attitude and stops wanting to buy sharks fins. The key problem is that there is a market demand for sharks fins. What could be done to change the attitude of an entire country (China, not HK alone) to not eat sharks fins?

When people stop buying sharks fins (creating market demand), then it makes no sense for fishermen to keep harvesting the fins.

My 2 cents, with no clear easy answer to this issue =b

reply to post by Nyiah


Actually the majority of the shark is edible. Since there are no bones its almost all meat plus the liver and other organs can be used also. Pacific Blues, lemons and Black Tips are great sports fish and tasty, Wasting the rest of the shark is ignorant. Even the skin can be tanned and made into boots, shoes, wallets, belts etc. I've had shark skin boots and they were the most comfortable boots I had ever owned.

If they want to harvest the shark, fine, just make sure you bring the whole shark not just the fins. Enact fines and impound the fishing boats that fail to provide the shark with fins still attached. Then regulate the harvest as to ensure a healthy level of population. This should increase the price on the fin soup and increase the fisherman's revenue. We regulate other species and pose stiff punishment for over fishing, so it's time to do so for the shark.

Originally posted by Nyiah
Is there no edible or practical use for the rest of the shark?? Surely it has edible areas left going to waste, or parts that could be used somehow in other industries?

I'm not advocating shark fin soup (I think it sounds really gross, personally) but I have to wonder how much of the rest of the shark is going to total waste dying a unimaginable death for nothing but it's fins if it could be used in some other manner.

Yes, I've actually had shark. I was young, though. Can't remember how it tastes, but I do know it is edible and I liked it.

I'm another that wouldn't have a problem with this as long as they aren't cutting the fins and throwing them back. That is just cruelty for no reason. It is like cutting a chicken's leg off for dinner and throwing the rest in the trash.

reply to post by the2010apprentice


Wow they are just fish.. if a billion people in china like shark fin soup let them eat it...

FISH THEY ARE JUST FISH

reply to post by goou111


Sharks play a very large part in maintaining our world wide eco system .

They are vital to the existence of the seas.

Originally posted by the2010apprentice
reply to post by goou111

 

Sharks play a very large part in maintaining our world wide eco system .

They are vital to the existence of the seas.

they are also food.. and theres alot of people to feed..

and a shark wouldnt think twice about eating me if he was hungry

Thanks for posting OP. I did a thread on this awhile ago and was really disappointed that it got so little attention. I don't have any qualms about eating meat, but essentially torturing something and wiping out the species is pathetic. I suggested people dumb enough to pay that incredible price for soup would gladly pay another 10 cents for a bullet. Just shoot them with a .22 before you cut them.

Think about how many people that country needs to feed, and think about how many things those shark fins can be turned into.


Looks like supply and demand to me.


But, at the same time it could be a huge waste being made by evil rich folk.

Originally posted by the2010apprentice
reply to post by goou111

 

Sharks play a very large part in maintaining our world wide eco system .

They are vital to the existence of the seas.

and food is vital to the existence of humans