What is Shark Finning?

Humans have been killing animals for food and other purposes since ancient times. Killing animals was more about meeting requirements in ancient times. Since then, times have changed, animals are still slain but in this age, they are slaughtered not just for food and resources, but also for amusement, to demonstrate supremacy, and to exhibit wealth by employing expensive materials obtained from them. Killing animals for trophy hunting, fashion industry, makeup industry, etc, is a common practice these days.

Today, we're going to talk about one such animal that has been a victim of unnecessary killing for many years now. This animal, as obvious from the title, is the shark and the reason for its unnecessary killing is its fins which are of great economic importance. The shark fin industry involves the trade of shark fins and has an annual turnover of millions of dollars. Fishermen or the people involved in the industry collect the fins from sharks through a cruel process known as shark finning.

WHAT IS SHARK FINNING?

Shark finning is the act or practice of removing shark fins and discarding the rest of the body into the ocean. The sharks are usually alive during finning.

Source: china.org.cn

WHY ARE SHARKS FINNED?

Shark finning is a result of the demand for shark fin soup. The demand is highest in Asian countries like China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc. To fulfil this demand 73–100 million sharks are finned every year.

Shark Fin Soup by harmon

The slaughter of so many sharks just for a soup raises the question: why is shark fin soup in so much demand?

The great demand for shark fin soup is because of its significance in the history and culture of China. The soup originated during the Song Dynasty that reigned China from the year 960 to 1279. The origin of the soup is credited to Emperor Taizu(927–976) of Song. At that time it was enjoyed only by the royals, aristocrats, nobles and signified wealth, power, and prestige. The consumption of shark fin soup as a symbol of power and wealth continued in the succeeding dynasties – the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty(1644-1912). The demand for shark fin soup was high until the reign of the Qing Dynasty but its popularity began to decrease when the Communist Party of China took over. Then in 1980, the growth in the economy of China improved the lives of people financially. Now, more people could afford the shark fin soup which increased its demand again.

The consumption of shark fin soup as a display of wealth and prosperity was one of the factors that increased its demand. The other factor that fuelled its demand was the belief that it has many health benefits. The medical benefits it is believed to provide include preventing cancer, and heart disease, lowering cholesterol, rejuvenating the body, improving skin quality, improving appetite, and boosting sexual potency. Some even believe it to be beneficial to the health of kidneys, blood, lungs, bones, and other major organs. It is also believed to improve qi(also spelt as "chi") or a person’s vital energy. However, there is no medical evidence to support any of this.

THE DANGERS OF CONSUMING SHARK FIN SOUP

There is no scientific evidence that supports the health benefits of consuming shark fins but there are enough pieces of evidence to prove the dangers of consuming shark fins and other related products.

Sharks contain high levels of methylmercury [CH₃Hg] as a result of bioaccumulation(gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism). Sharks are usually big, long-lived, and eat a variety of fishes and invertebrates. The longer the shark lives and the bigger it gets, the more food it consumes during its lifetime. As nearly all fish contain trace amounts of mercury, it gets accumulated in the sharks when they feed upon the fishes.

But how did mercury enter into the fish that sharks prey upon?

By Bretwood Higman, Ground Truth Trekking

Mercury is introduced into the environment in three ways:

1) Naturally from volcanoes, the weathering of rocks, forest fires, and soils.

2) From the burning of fossil fuels, gold mining, and inadequate waste management.

3) Re-introduction through natural processes such as the evaporation of ocean water.

Microorganisms in waterbodies change mercury into methylmercury, which builds up in fish and shellfish and gets transferred to the animals up the trophic level.

Along with methylmercury, sharks also contain BMAA(beta-Methylamino-L-alanine), arsenic, and lead and may contain a fatal marine toxin called ciguatoxin.

Methylmercury affects the immune system, alters genetic and enzyme systems, and damages the nervous system, including coordination and the senses of touch, taste, and sight. BMAA can be misincorporated into nascent proteins in place of L-serine and can cause protein misfolding and aggregation, both hallmarks of tangle diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and Lewy body disease. L-serine is essential for the synthesis of phosphatidylserine, which is a component of the membrane of brain cells (i.e., neurons). Ciguatoxins may affect the digestive, muscular, and neurological systems.

It is because of the presence of these toxins, pregnant and breastfeeding women are advised not to consume shark products or any fish that has high levels of these substances for the safety of their babies.

Find more about mercury poisoning here.

THE EFFECTS OF SHARK FINNING

Source: stop-finning-eu

It is estimated that 100 million sharks are killed every year for their fins. That’s equivalent to a shark being killed once every 3.17 seconds. A decade ago, it was expected that the extinction of sharks could be experienced within the next 100 to 200 years but if the slaughter continues at the same rate, these creatures can go extinct by the year 2040.

EFFECT ON SHARK POPULATION

73–100 million sharks are brutally killed every year to meet the demands of shark fin soup. Diverse species of sharks are killed and the most common ones are:

• Blacktip

• Blue.

• Bull

• Hammerhead.

• Oceanic Whitetip

• Porbeagle.

• Mako.

• Sandbar

• Silky.

• Spinner.

• Thresher

• Tiger.

• Great White

Blue sharks are the most commonly killed species(20 million kills/year) and hammerhead sharks are the most sought-after species as their fins are considered premium.

A finned shark sank to the bottom of the ocean.

Source: divein.com

Shark finning leaves the sharks incapable of swimming. Not being able to swim, they sink to the bottom and die of suffocation, loss of blood, or are eaten by other fishes.

Due to the shark fin trade, the shark population is decreasing rapidly. As sharks are K-selected species, characterized by long gestation periods lasting several months, slow maturation, and long life spans, they are extremely vulnerable to extinction.

EFFECT ON OTHER ANIMALS AND ECOSYSTEM

Sharks are keystone species that help maintain the balance of the ecosystem. As apex predators, they are at the top of the food chain and directly or indirectly affect all the organisms below them.

For example, sharks help to protect seaweed meadows that can store up to 83,000 metric tons of carbon per square kilometer and are important for the survival of many creatures. Sharks prey upon turtles, which feed on seagrass. When sharks are present, they intimidate the turtles, which causes the turtles to move around and graze over a large area of seagrass meadows. Without sharks, turtles overgraze and destroy the seagrass meadows of a particular region which are important habitats for many animals from tiny invertebrates to large fish, crabs, turtles, marine mammals, and birds.

The absence of sharks from an ecosystem could result in a top-down trophic cascade and shift the balance of the ecosystem.

EFFECT ON ECONOMY

Sharks can be an important factor in boosting the economy of some places. Sharks are huge revenue earners in the ecotourism industry.

According to a study in 2013, shark tourism generates more than US$ 300 million a year. In Australia. shark diving tourism generates more than US$ 17.7 million annually. In Palau (an island country in the western Pacific), it was estimated that a single shark brings in $179,000 per year.

The ecotourism industry supports local businesses and provides jobs to more than 10,000 people. The revenue from shark ecotourism is expected to double in the next 20 years. The value of 100 dead sharks in both fins and flesh amounts to 0.00006% of the lifetime value of the same sharks.

HOW BIG IS THE SHARK FIN INDUSTRY?

The shark fin industry is a multi-million industry generating anywhere between 540 million to 1.2 billion dollars or even more. Shark fin is only 1–5% of the total weight of the shark but is worth more than the body of the shark.

Shark fins can sell more than thrice the price of the bones and 10 times the price of the meat. Shark fins can sell for as much as $1100 per kilogram and a single bowl of soup can cost as much as $130.

In countries like the US, where shark finning is banned, fins are imported from other countries such as Hong Kong. Whale sharks and basking sharks, the 2 of the largest shark species, are considered trophy animals and buyers can pay anywhere from $10,000–$20000 for their fins.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF SHARKS LOOK LIKE?

The future of sharks seems to be in dark considering the various dangers(finning, bycatch, etc.) they face. The fact that around 100 million sharks of various species are killed every year just for their fins gives us an idea of their future. Since sharks are k-selected species, attain sexual maturity late in their life, and do not give birth to many offsprings, they cannot compensate for the killings, and therefore, their populations have decreased rapidly in the past few years. Today, shark populations have decreased by 60-70%, and for some species(e.g. Pacific Reef Shark), the numbers have gone down as much as 90%.

Even though the future of sharks does not look good, there is still some hope as many international and national laws, policies, and organizations exist that work in favour of sharks.

STEPS TAKEN AGAINST SHARK FINNING

In order to combat shark finning, various international and national laws exist. A policy like "Fins Naturally Attached(FNA)" is recommended by the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) to stop shark finning. It requires the sharks to be brought back to the land with their fins naturally attached to their body. To learn about shark conservation and management policies, visit here.

Shark finning has been banned in the European Union since 2003 but it was not much effective due to several loopholes present in the legislation. However, after the adoption of the FNA policy, these loopholes were closed making the laws against shark finning stronger. As of 6 June 2013, sharks caught by EU vessels anywhere in the world must be landed with their fins naturally attached.

The United States is amongst the countries that have banned shark finning. Currently, the possession and sale of shark fins are banned in 14 states and 3 union territories of the US. Finning on any vessel within US territorial waters and on all US-flagged fishing vessels in international waters is banned under the Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000(SFPA). Also, shark fins cannot be imported into the US without the associated carcass. To further strengthen the laws of shark finning, the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act is introduced in the US senate in 2021 which would make it illegal to possess, buy, sell, or transport shark fins. Find more about the US shark fin trade and legislation here.

In Australia, shark finning is illegal in all jurisdictions but still, it participates in the shark fin trade. The policy of "fins naturally attached" is adopted to reduce and regulate shark finning. However, the FNA policy is not adopted by all the states.

China, the biggest consumer of shark fin soup, has recently banned shark fin soup from all official banquets.

In addition to national and international laws, shark sanctuaries have been set up in many parts of the world. The first shark sanctuary was created by Palau, an island country in the western Pacific, in 2009. It was then followed by Maldives, Honduras, The Bahamas, and Tokelau. Today, there are a total of 17 sanctuaries around the world that protect sharks and contribute to their conservation.

Some countries have taken more severe measures to stop the complete collapse of shark populations in their waters. For instance, the Republic of Congo imposed a complete ban on shark fishing in waters.

Find the list of countries that have completely or partially banned the practice here.

Many conservation organizations like Oceana, Shark Stewards, Sea Shepherd, etc, are constantly making efforts to stop the cruel practice of finning and protecting the sharks.

ALTERNATIVE TO SHARK FIN SOUP

People these days have also started to realise how big of a problem this is. There has been a significant decrease in shark fin soup consumption in recent years.

Image Credit: NeoBatfreak

There exists an alternative to shark fin soup and people who still want to enjoy the soup can opt for that instead of the real shark fin soup. This alternative is called 'imitation shark fin soup' which uses cellophane noodles, vermicelli, konjac gel, etc, as a substitute for the real shark fin.