Why is at stake with shark finning campaign? or Anti Shark Soup campaign if you ever heard about it!

For more than 400 million years Sharks have swam the world’s oceans and play a vital role in maintaining the health of marine ecosystems.  As for today,  shark populations around the world have been decimated tremendously, with some populations having declined as much as 99 percent. In a couple years from now, some will even face extinction. Even those in the Malaysian waters. Hey, one would encounter that Mabul (world famous dive spot) has these activities.  Ironic? People need to be educated that they are other sources of income besides finning ( I solely blame the government/authorities for not doing their best) If Rhino and Elephant tusk can be illegal in this beautiful country , why not Shark FINs? Saying those finned are not endangered are just bull.

What’s the greatest treat that Sharks are facing? 

The greatest threat to sharks is shark finning is the practice of cutting off a shark’s fins and discarding the carcass at sea.  (done by us humans, see the above picture how unhuman some can be and how unhuman some can even eat Shark Fin Soup without feeling any guilt, YES YOU!) ,This is done because shark meat is of much lower value than fins and takes up space that could otherwise be used for storing fins.  You can imagine (current market price during the video below USD2/kilo for the shark meat and USD28/kilo for the FINs. ) It makes more business sense to just bring in the FINs. In some countries there are small regulations that states sharks without fins are NOT allowed to be landed, hence we see this kind of barbaric behavior when the fisherman just brings the FINS. where are the sharks? have u ever heard a friend of you actually eating a shark meat instead of the FINS? NO? Having stayed in malaysia for past nearly 30years, the write yohan ibrahim has never encounter someone into shark meat…its always about the FINS…during CNY (shortform for Chinese new year) ye sang/dinner, what are they favorite soup? 

a Video by Chef Gordon Ramsay about Shark Fin Soup.

Good video. If you love to eat shark fin soup. Especially during these Chinese New Year celebration, i beg you guys, please watch this video…then think about again…is it really worth it? (thanks to my friend zaff1982 from MalaysianUnderwater for introcuding the video. Also thanks Chef Gordon Ramsay (guys watching MasterCheff would be familiar with him) who make me have a valid and solid video to share on WHY ONE should support Anti-Shark Finning.

And here the full version of above video.

The important notes that we can extract from this video are:

1- The soup is mixed with chicken and pork stock to flavor the shark fin soup.
2- The shark fin is actually has no flavor. Taste like a Glass Noodle – Bihun or Laksa.
3 -So the fin is not the main ingredient that make the soup great.
4- It is the expensive soup in the world and indirectly represent the symbol of wealth status.
5- Fins are 5% of the shark body part that “valuable”. Other 95% is worthless, they throw it away back to sea.
6- Some some shark fin consumers are not aware of this endangered species.
7- 60% reduction of shark population within 9 years !! Just in 9 years we lose 60% of shark population !!
8- They don’t care what about the species, as long it is a shark.
9- Hammerhead shark only giving birth once a year and took many years to be matured. Been killed before they can be reproduce.
10 – USD2/kilo for the shark meat and USD28/kilo for the shark fins directly from fisherman before middleman.
11- thresher shark meat is sometimes used as a bait.
12- It’s estimated that each year 100 million sharks are killed worldwide1

13 – and the Lists goes on…………(And did you guys know malaysia is among top 10 shark fin activities in the world!) geezzz.

So the questions is, what can YOU DO?

1) Stop consuming Shark Fin Soup

2) Stop Selling Shark Fin Soup – If you have the power – share your stories here

3) contact/email your local anti shark fin support/group to have more support/info

4) share anti shark fin youtube videos on you FB wall/blog/reddit/whatever

5) educate your friends & family

6) compile a list of restaurants serving shark fin soup and share with other anti shark fin groups/ to boycott them

7) report shark finning activities to the authorities if possible..share on the net if nothing is done

8 ) Have an anti shark fin banner as you fb profile once in a while especially during the Chinese Lunar new year calendar celebrations

9) support movements like the one from MIDE 2011, projectaware

10)………………………….

pH – still wanna eat shark fin soup?  REMEMBER, FOR EVERY BOWL YOU EAT, THERE is a SHARK LAYING DOWN somewhere IN THE SEA JUST LIKE THE PICTURE ABOVE. Left to die and extinct all due to human decisions…  

other articles | what-is-shark-finning |how-to-help-endangered-sharks | malaysians-dont-care-about-wildlife-and-marine-conservation

check the videos in this site…..Pulau tioman from an outsider point of view ^_^

http://blueventures.org/malaysia-expeditions.html

china ship makes a 3km scar at the world's heritage, GBR

“The Chinese coal carrier Shen Neng 1 is shown on the Great Barrier Reef.”

my comments :->

As I was reading the sun newspaper today, a small EarthReport column caught my attention. I was furious when I first come to know that a China Ship had caused a 2-3km’s scar on the Great Barrier Reef! My impression was they must have come into a retricted waters, or took a shortCut and I was right……It’s a world heritage site for god sake! god know how many years to recover this disaster….those responsible need to be executed with the highest punishment as possible…

“Traveling at full speed and in broad daylight the Shen Neng 1 struck the reef after straying off a recognized shipping lane.” al-jazeera

some other source wrote :->
Australian police on April 14th arrested the master and another crew member of Shen Neng 1, a Chinese cargo ship, over its grounding on the Great Barrier Reef 11 days earlier. Buffeted by winds and tides, the stranded ship, carrying 65,000 tonnes of coal from the Queensland port of Gladstone to China, is reported to have gouged a channel more than 3km (1.9 miles) long through coral in the reef, a world-heritage site already at risk from worsening water quality and rising sea temperatures. Oil has also washed up on a nearby island that seabirds and turtles use as a nesting ground. Paint from the ship’s hull has been found attached to coral; scientists are testing it for heavy metals. David Wachenfeld, chief scientist of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, says it is “by far” the largest ship-grounding scar seen on the reef; it could take 20 years to recover. The ship was finally floated on April 12th, and anchored off Great Keppel Island.

As you can see (refer to my right bottom widget), Sipadan Island has jumped to position no5…..just last week it was no4……a few weeks ago it was 14….Sipadan has the official support compared to some other islands in the top 10….by the time you read this, the ranking may already change!

click here to see my earlier post on this

as for the official support from sipadan management(not so informative at all) -> http://www.votesipadan.com

current rankings on new 7 wonders of the world : http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/liveranking/

where to vote?  : http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/

cheers…..

After a week rest in my hometown (excuse for not posting for a while, not Chelsea upset!) , I come to this topic and would like to share my toughts on this….

As you guys may have heart, a few months ago there was this buzz going on New 7 wonders of the World……..Now a new thing has come out, New 7 wonders of nature……Places like Great Barrier Reef(reminds me of island caretaker, best job in the world congrats to Ben S- would have another topic on this later), Sipadan Island(sorry if I sound Bias,but its a Scuba Diving heaven), Amazon are among places that I voted (yup these are in my list of 100 places to go before I die list :p) many of the nominees are really2 interesting places to visit…

I must I admit, some of the places that have been nominated,I’ve never even heard it….So I took my time to ask uncle google…..It opened my mind that there are so many Cool places I’ve never heard of and yet to discover…….and I do hope they are still there when I do have the chance to go there someday……. That’s why wildlife and marine conservation is important! So that we can enjoy nature as it it…..

As a Malaysian, I fully support the Sipadan Island in the final 77 shortlist(you guys can read the site for more inf0, I dont plan to copy n paste it here)….Just a preview on whats happening…..current standings for Sipadan Island is 13, 2 spots shy for the top 11 under the Island category…..Although I do not expect Sipadan to win but being top 11 of island..or even top 10 would be a highlight to tourism industry here in Malaysia…(negative thing will get more tourist, which I sometimes prefer quit and unpopular islands/places)……I do look forward to see more world heritage spots in malaysia…..To just be the top 10 islands in the world would mean a recognition, more conservation funds and attention which in the end would be a positive thing….This comment is also applicable to other wonders of nature…

This thing that they are promoting, is actually kind of conservation awareness…….We acknowled it before it dissapears(for those places that are not focus on conservation)…..Next step/or should I say ongoing step would be the conservation efforts , and also on how to tackle the local problems faced by these wonders of nature…..As we know nature is always treatened by people….Maybe I continue talking on this some other day……..Here are some links that I would like to share(if you guys have yet to stumble on it)….

current rankings on new 7 wonders of the world : http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/liveranking/

where to vote?  : http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/

just my simple 2cents….happy voting…

cheers,

pilotHans