Save the Sharks, Save the Oceans.

A Brief History of Shark Fin Soup
The relentlessly rising demand for shark fin soup, a prevalent Chinese delicacy, has engendered up to 73 million shark deaths every year.

Sharks are an indispensable part of the ocean. As apex predators of the marine ecosystem, they regulate the distribution and abundance of species, retaining a healthy environment. The removal of sharks would inevitably cause the disequilibrium of the ecosystem, putting the ocean in peril. The regulation of prey populations would not have been possible without the existence of sharks, hence making it an integral part of the marine ecosystem. However, humans do not recognize the importance of sharks, nor do they show any consideration towards the ramifications of shark finning. The origin of shark finning traces back to the 14th century and has grown in prevalence in the past centuries. NOAA fisheries first banned shark finning in 1993 due to its adverse influence on the shark population. Prohibitions regarding shark finning were also enacted in 2000 and 2010 to promote awareness. However, despite the numerous regulations imposed on shark finning, illegal, unreported, and unregulated shark finning has still begotten millions of shark deaths. Shark finning kills an estimated 100 million or more sharks annually, and an estimated 32% of ocean sharks are threatened with extinction predominantly due to inordinate amounts of shark finning. More than 73 million sharks are used for a popular Chinese delicacy named the shark fin soup, which is seen in various Asian countries, notably China. 

Beyond the reprehensible cruelty towards sharks and how many of us revile shark finning on the ethical facet, we must also be aware that it is devastating the ocean. The interconnected relationships between species have been ruptured due to the plummet in the shark population. Without the monitoring and regulation of the apex predator in an ecosystem, the food chain would be in a state of complete instability and chaos. Shark finning is largely unregulated in many areas. This widespread practice has seen an increase in the past decade due to the higher demand for shark fin soup, refined fishing technologies, and improved market economics. The massacre of sharks has not been recognized by many fisheries. Humans continue to slaughter multitudes of sharks every year, as many as 100 million. Sharks do not reproduce much, which exacerbates the decline of their population. Moreover, the method that is used to catch sharks is exceedingly inhumane. When sharks are caught, their fins would be obtained, while the rest of the body would be discarded back into the ocean. Without their fin, sharks would not be able to move. The obviation of movement precludes sharks from breathing, causing them to die slowly in agony due to the insufficiency of breath. The agonizing death of sharks is heart-rending. The inconsiderate acts of humans towards sharks are certainly a prominent issue that we have to tackle. 

Shark fins drying on the roof of a factory building in Hong Kong.

With a high monetary and cultural value, shark fin soup has been a popular target for many fishermen. The high value of shark fin soup has been an incentive for many to hunt down sharks. Shark fins sometimes sell for as much as USD 500 per pound. However, the actual nutritional benefits of the shark fin are paltry and are even detrimental to the human body. Sharks contain high amounts of methyl mercury, making them potentially dangerous to health. Additionally, shark fin is tasteless, and the palatable taste of shark fin soup is entirely derived from other ingredients in the soup. Accounting for only 5% of the shark’s body, the shark fin is devoid of any nutritional value and taste, and exposure to it is also detrimental to health. Sharks contain high levels of toxic mercury, which may pose an adverse health concern if eaten regularly. Samples that were selected randomly from 10 shops in Sheung Wan contained levels of mercury that were 10 times higher than the government prohibitions. Prolonged exposure to high levels of mercury can be exceedingly detrimental to the human body, especially in the brain and the central nervous system. Research conducted by the Florida International University appraised levels of mercury in shark fins and noticed that the level of mercury was exorbitantly high – up to six to ten times higher than what is deemed a safe level of mercury. The inimical effect of shark flesh makes shark fin soup a futile option. It is pointless to hunt sharks for the mere benefit of their fin. We hope to mitigate the occurrence of shark finning. The futile practice of shark finning has animal ethical implications and has adverse impacts on the marine ecosystem. Shark finning is the cardinal factor that led to the considerable decline of the shark population in the past decades, and we believe that it is time to promulgate the awareness of shark protection to forestall the further reduction of the shark population. We strive to mitigate the practice of shark finning to restore the equilibrium of the marine food chain. 

The paramount role of sharks in the marine food pyramid makes them an indispensable component of oceans. Due to the intertwined relationships between organisms, the significant declination in the population of sharks will lead to the fluctuation in the population of other species. For instance, sharks prey on reef-eating fish. With the vanishing of sharks, fewer reef-eating fish will be consumed. The lack of regulation on their population would lead to the surge in the population of reef-eating sharks, therefore causing the demolition of reefs. Fish will run rampant under the dearth of predators, therefore causing reefs to decrease substantially in number. The reefs in the ocean emit large amounts of oxygen that we breathe in, therefore impacting our lives as well. Without the regulation of sharks towards the marine food chain, reefs would decrease considerably in number, therefore leading to the reduction in oxygen levels that humans intake. The plummet in shark populations will engender a ripple effect that negatively impacts species of the marine food web, hence jeopardizing oceans. Furthermore, study shows that sharks are worth significantly more when they are alive than when they are dead. Varying by the location, fishermen obtain 100 USD, while a living shark is worth over 1.5 million dollars over the average lifespan. Additionally, sharks are a prominent factor of tourism, and they can attract immense amounts of tourists, rendering large amounts of profit. 

Many people have the misconception that sharks are abominable creatures that prey on humans. Sharks are often depicted with a daunting and menacing appearance with a notoriously egregious practice of devouring humans. Despite the prevalence of such unsubstantiated claims, the abhorrence of sharks is proved to be unreasonable and lacks solid corroboration that they frequently attack humans. Sharks are not as appalling as they seem, and in fact, the number of deaths caused by shark attacks is paltry. Sharks typically do not attack humans unless provoked. In 2020, only 57 unprovoked cases of shark attacks were recorded. In comparison, other death causes such as taking selfies, which lead to 259 deaths in 2019, occur notably more than shark deaths. While many people deem sharks as daunting creatures, shark attacks are paltry in number and hence should not be the reason to preclude us from providing our unconditional support to sharks when they are under the iniquitous treatment of humans. Many people revile sharks for how we often deem them to be dreadful creatures that put our lives in peril, yet in the ironic reality, we are the ones who have been treating sharks with atrocity and torment. 

While shark fin is devoid of any notable benefits, the shark fin industry has become a lucrative business and begat staggering numbers of shark deaths. The egregious practice of shark finning has exhibited such inhumanity that should not be tolerated. As an integral part of marine food chains, the plummet in shark populations will lead to devastating aftermaths to oceans. Though sharks are often portrayed as formidable creatures, many have been victims of shark finning. Sharkopolis strives to ameliorate the plight of sharks and bring the callousness of humans to an end. Through our efforts, we aspire to promulgate the awareness of shark protection. Save the sharks, save the oceans.