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Shark finning 1 Shark finning NOAA agent counting confiscated shark fins Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins and the discarding at sea of the carcass. Shark finning takes place at sea so the fishers only have to transport the fins. Shark finning is widespread, and largely unmanaged and unmonitored. Shark finning has increased over the past decade largely due to the increasing demand for shark fins for Chinese shark fin soup and traditional cures, improved fishing technology, and improved market economics. Shark specialists estimate that anywhere between 38 million-100 million sharks are killed for their fins, annually. [1] Shark fins are a billion dollar industry. [2] Process According to wildlife conservation much of the sharks' fin trade uses fins cut from living sharks, called finning. [3] Because shark meat is worth much less, the now finless and often still-living sharks are thrown back into the sea to make room for more of the valuable fins. [3] In the ocean, the sharks either die from suffocation or are eaten because they are unable to move normally. Impact and reporting Chart showing shark fishing on the rise, from 1950 to 2004 According to Giam Choo Hoo, the longest serving member of The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Animals Committee, "The perception that it is common practice to kill sharks for only their fins - and to cut them off whilst the sharks are still alive - is wrong.... The vast majority of fins in the market are taken from sharks after their death." [4] However, some researchers dispute this claim after extensive examination of fin sourcing and fisheries data; one study of sharks harvested for their valuable fins estimates that between 26-73 million sharks are killed each year worldwide, [5] which is almost three times higher than official Food and Agriculture Organization estimates. [6] The crew of the conservation vessel Ocean Warrior witnessed and photographed industrial-scale finning within Costa Rica's Cocos Island National Park protected marine area. [7] The practice is featured in the documentary Sharks: Stewards of the Reef, which contains footage from Western Australia and Central America and also examines shark finning's cultural, financial and ecological impacts. Underwater photographer Richard Merritt also has witnessed finning of living sharks in Indonesia where he saw immobile finless sharks lying on the sea bed still alive below the fishing boat. [8] Finning has been witnessed and filmed within a protected marine area in the Raja

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Shark finning 1

Shark finning

NOAA agent counting confiscated shark fins

Shark finning refers to the removal and retention ofshark fins and the discarding at sea of the carcass.Shark finning takes place at sea so the fishers only haveto transport the fins.

Shark finning is widespread, and largely unmanagedand unmonitored. Shark finning has increased over thepast decade largely due to the increasing demand forshark fins for Chinese shark fin soup and traditionalcures, improved fishing technology, and improvedmarket economics. Shark specialists estimate thatanywhere between 38 million-100 million sharks arekilled for their fins, annually.[1] Shark fins are a billiondollar industry.[2]

Process

According to wildlife conservation much of the sharks'fin trade uses fins cut from living sharks, calledfinning.[3] Because shark meat is worth much less, thenow finless and often still-living sharks are thrownback into the sea to make room for more of thevaluable fins.[3] In the ocean, the sharks either die fromsuffocation or are eaten because they are unable tomove normally.

Impact and reporting

Chart showing shark fishing on the rise, from1950 to 2004

According to Giam Choo Hoo, the longest serving member of TheConvention on International Trade in Endangered Species of WildFauna and Flora Animals Committee, "The perception that it iscommon practice to kill sharks for only their fins - and to cut them offwhilst the sharks are still alive - is wrong.... The vast majority of fins inthe market are taken from sharks after their death."[4] However, someresearchers dispute this claim after extensive examination of finsourcing and fisheries data; one study of sharks harvested for theirvaluable fins estimates that between 26-73 million sharks are killedeach year worldwide,[5] which is almost three times higher than officialFood and Agriculture Organization estimates.[6]

The crew of the conservation vessel Ocean Warrior witnessed and photographed industrial-scale finning within Costa Rica's Cocos Island National Park protected marine area.[7] The practice is featured in the documentary Sharks: Stewards of the Reef, which contains footage from Western Australia and Central America and also examines shark finning's cultural, financial and ecological impacts. Underwater photographer Richard Merritt also has witnessed finning of living sharks in Indonesia where he saw immobile finless sharks lying on the sea bed still alive below the fishing boat.[8] Finning has been witnessed and filmed within a protected marine area in the Raja

Shark finning 2

Ampat islands of Indonesia.[9]

Dorsal fin of a shark

Animal welfare groups vigorously oppose finning onmoral grounds and also because it is one cause for therapid decline of global shark populations.[3] On theIUCN red list there are 39 species of elasmobranches(sharks and rays) listed as threatened species (CriticallyEndangered, Endangered or Vulnerable).[10] CITESlists three sharks in Appendix II: the basking shark, thegreat white shark, and the whale shark. Appendix IIlists those species that are not in danger of extinction,but which require controls on international trade tomaintain their populations. It is estimated that 10–100million sharks are slaughtered each year for their finswith a median figure of 38 million.[1] The industry is

valued at US$1.2 billion; because of the lucrative profits, there are allegations of links to organized crime.[2] [11]

They also raise questions on the medical harm from the consumption of high levels of toxic mercury reportedlyfound in shark fins.

Shark fin fishing boat off the Galapagos, Ecuador

Numbers of some shark species have dropped as much as 80% over thelast 50 years.[12] Some organizations claim that shark fishing orbycatch (the unintentional capture of species by other fisheries) is thereason for the decline in some species' populations and that the marketfor fins has very little impact – bycatch accounts for an estimated 50%of all sharks taken[3] – others that the market for shark fin soup is themain reason for the decline.[12] Tommy Cheung, the legislatorrepresenting Hong Kong's catering sector, said: "I don't believe sharksare an endangered species. Some species of shark may be, but not allshark's fin comes from certain species. There are a lot of species thatare plentiful."[13] There is no reliable count for the numbers taken inthe shark fin trade and thus it is hard to prove the claims on either sideof the argument.[3]

According to Giam's article, "sharks are caught virtually all parts of the world. Despite the strongly declaredobjectives of the Fisheries Commission in Brussels, there are very few restrictions on fishing for sharks in Europeanwaters. The meat of dogfishes, smoothhounds, cat sharks, skates and rays is in high demand by Europeanconsumers...The situation in Canada and the United States is similar: the blue shark is sought after as a sport fishwhile the porbeagle, mako and spiny dogfish are part of the commercial fishery...the truth is this: Sharks willcontinue to be caught and killed on a wide scale by the more organized and sophisticated fishing nations...targetingshark's fin soup will not stop this accidental catch. The fins from these catches will be thrown away or turned intoanimal feed and fertilizers if shark's fin soup is shunned."

International reactionMany countries now prohibit finning; however, many international waters are unregulated. International fishing authorities are considering banning shark fishing (and finning) in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Finning is banned in the Eastern Pacific,[14] but shark fishing and finning continues unabated in most of the Pacific and Indian Ocean.[3] In countries such as Thailand and Singapore, public awareness advertisements on finning have reportedly reduced consumption by 25%. In 2007, Canadian filmmaker and biologist Rob Stewart created a film,

Shark finning 3

Sharkwater, which exposes the shark fin industry in detail.

China

A dried shark fin on display with dried seacucumbers and abalone

NBA All-Star Yao Ming pledged to stop eating shark fin soup at anews conference on August 2, 2006. Yao's comments were largelyunreported in the Chinese media and drew a reproach from Chineseseafood industry associations. Ironically, shark fin soup was on YaoMing's wedding dinner menu.[15] [16] U.S. basketball player TracyMcGrady, a team mate of Yao's, reportedly said that he was impressedby the soup when he tried it for the first time, but was criticized by theHong Kong branch of the World Wildlife Federation for his remark.[17]

Late Australian naturalist Steve Irwin was known to walk out ofChinese restaurants if he saw shark fin soup on the menu.[18] TheChinese-American chef, Ken Hom, sees the West doing little to protectstocks of cod and caviar-producing sturgeon despite the outcry overshark-finning, but he also stresses the wastefulness of harvesting onlythe fins.[19]

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Disneyland dropped shark fin soup from its weddingbanquet menu after international pressure from environmental groups, who threatened to boycott its parks worldwidedespite the high demand for the delicacy in China.[20] The University of Hong Kong has banned shark fin oncampus.[21]

MalaysiaOn September 15, 2007, Malaysia's Natural Resources and Environment Ministry Azmi Khalid banned shark's finsoup from official functions committing to the Malaysian Nature Society (for conservation of shark species).[22]

New ZealandThe great white sharks have been given full protection in the territorial waters of New Zealand[23] but shark finningis legal on other shark species if the shark is dead. The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand arecampaigning to raise awareness of shark finning[24] and a number of foodies have fronted the campaign.[25]

PalauIn 2009, the Republic of Palau created the world's first shark sanctuary. It is illegal to catch sharks within Palau'sEEZ, which covers an area of 230,000 square miles. This is an area about the size of France. President JohnsonToribiong also called for a ban on global shark finning, stating: "These creatures are being slaughtered and areperhaps at the brink of extinction unless we take positive action to protect them."[26]

United StatesBill Clinton banned finning in the United States and with U.S.-registered vessels, but not foreign-registered vessels.Shark fins cannot be imported into the U.S. without the associated carcass. In 1991, the percentage of sharks killedby U.S. longline fisheries in the Pacific Ocean for finning was approximately 3%. By 1998, that percentage hadgrown to 60%. Between 1991 and 1998, the number of sharks retained by the Hawaii-based swordfish and tunalongline fishery had increased from 2,289 to 60,857 annually, and by 1998, an estimated 98% of these sharks were

Shark finning 4

killed for their fins.In January 2009, the United States House of Representatives passed the Shark Conservation Act of 2009 to closeloopholes in the US finning ban. The measure is pending in the United States Senate.In 2010, Hawaii became the first state to ban the possession, sale and distribution of shark fins. The law will takeeffect on July 1, 2011.[27]

See also• Overfishing• Shark fin soup

External links• Decline of Big Sharks Lets Small Predators Decimate Shellfish [28], Washington Post. March 2007• Triple Threat: World Fin Trade May Harvest up to 73 Million Sharks per Year [29], research published in Ecology

Letters, September 2006• Shark Finning Fact sheet [30]

• In Search of Credibility & Cooperation in Shark Conservation [31]

• Decimating Shark Population for Some Soup [32]

• Shark Fin Soup [33] ...a painting with a point• Shark Finning Resource Center [34] Sensory Escape Images

References[1] Nicholas Bakalar (2006-10-12). "38 Million Sharks Killed for Fins Annually, Experts Estimate" (http:/ / news. nationalgeographic. com/

news/ 2006/ 10/ 061012-shark-fin. html). National Geographic. . Retrieved 8 January 2007.[2] Geoffrey York (2003-08-27). "Shark Soup" (http:/ / www. flmnh. ufl. edu/ FISH/ sharks/ innews/ sharksoup2003. htm). The Globe and Mail.

. Retrieved 8 January 2007.[3] "Sharks" (http:/ / www. wildaid. org/ index. asp?CID=3& PID=352& SUBID=& TERID=490). WildAid. . Retrieved 6 January 2007.[4] Giam Choo Hoo (2006-12-01). "Shark's fin soup – eat without guilt" (http:/ / www. iwmc. org/ PDF/ StraitsTPress. pdf). The Straits Times. .

Retrieved 6 January 2007.[5] Clarke, Shelley C.; Murdoch K. McAllister, E. J. Milner-Gulland, G. P. Kirkwood, Catherine G. J. Michielsens, David J. Agnew, Ellen K.

Pikitch, Hideki Nakano, Mahmood S. Shivji (2006). "Global estimates of shark catches using trade records from commercial markets".Ecology Letters 9 (10): 1115–1126. doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2006.00968.x. ISSN 1461-023X. "Estimates of the total number of sharks tradedannually worldwide, based on all fin positions combined, ranged from 26 to 73 million".

[6] Clarke, Shelley C.; Murdoch K. McAllister, E. J. Milner-Gulland, G. P. Kirkwood, Catherine G. J. Michielsens, David J. Agnew, Ellen K.Pikitch, Hideki Nakano, Mahmood S. Shivji (2006). "Global estimates of shark catches using trade records from commercial markets".Ecology Letters 9 (10): 1115–1126. doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2006.00968.x. ISSN 1461-023X. "Our median biomass estimate for the globalshark fin trade based on all fin positions combined [...] is [...] nearly three times higher than the high FAO estimate".

[7] "Disaster off the coast of the Cocos Islands" (http:/ / www. shark-info. ch/ News/ newsres. html?lang=e& keyword=Fins& num=161). SharkInfo. . Retrieved 5 December 2007.

[8] "shark conservation" (http:/ / www. bluespheremedia. com/ shark-conservation. html). Blue Sphere Media. . Retrieved 5 December 2007.[9] "16 January 2007: Encountering Shark Finners inside our Marine Protected Area" (http:/ / misoolecoresort. com/ newsJanuary2007. html).

Misool Eco Resort. . Retrieved 5 December 2007.[10] "List of endangered sharks" (http:/ / www. sharktrust. org/ do_download. asp?did=26336). The Shark Trust. . Retrieved 8 January 2007.[11] Peter Gastrow (2001). "Triad Societies and Chinese Organised Crime in South Africa" (http:/ / www. iss. co. za/ Pubs/ Papers/ 48/ 48. html).

Institute for Security Studies. . Retrieved 8 January 2007.[12] Laura Marquez (2006-10-30). "Rising Demand For Fins Contributes To Decline In Shark Population, Critics Charge" (http:/ / www. flmnh.

ufl. edu/ fish/ sharks/ InNews/ critics2006. html). ABC News. . Retrieved 8 January 2007.[13] "Disney Hong Kong insists on shark's fin-soup meals" (http:/ / www. taipeitimes. com/ News/ biz/ archives/ 2005/ 05/ 29/ 2003257104).

Taipei Times. 2005-05-29. . Retrieved 8 January 2007.[14] "Shark Finning Banned in Eastern Pacific Ocean" (http:/ / www. ens-newswire. com/ ens/ jun2005/ 2005-06-29-03. asp). Environment News

Service. 2005-06-09. . Retrieved 8 January 2007.

Shark finning 5

[15] "Media silent on shark fin soup affair" (http:/ / www. thestandard. com. hk/ news_detail. aspwe_cat=9& art_id=26301& sid=9676185&con_type=3& d_str=20060901). TheStandard. 2006-09-01. . Retrieved 8 January 2007.

[16] David Barboza (2006-08-13). "Waiter, There’s a Celebrity in My Shark FinSoup" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2006/ 08/ 13/ weekinview/13barboza. htmlex=1313121600& en=bf6278b2a0e6f52& ei=5088& partner=rssnyt& emc=rss). The New York Times. . Retrieved 8January2006.

[17] "Basketball star berated for shark fin dinner" (http:/ / www. bangkokpost. net/ breaking_news/ breakingnews. php?id=112686). BangkokPost. . Retrieved 8 January 2007.

[18] Mike Dolan (2006-09-04). "Death of the crocodile hunter" (http:/ / www. thefirstpost. co. uk/ index. php?menuID=2& subID=883& p=2).The First Post. . Retrieved 8 January 2007.

[19] Ken Hom (2005-06-09). "A shark's tale" (http:/ / www. guardian. co. uk/ g2/ story/ 0,,1516720,00. html). The Guardian. . Retrieved 8January 2006.

[20] Chester Yung and Teddy Ng (2005-06-25). "Disney ditches shark's fin" (http:/ / www. thestandard. com. hk/ stdn/ std/ Metro/ GF25Ak01.html). The Standard. . Retrieved 8 January 2007.

[21] Doug Crets and Mimi Lau (2005-11-03). "HKU bans shark fin dishes" (http:/ / www. thestandard. com. hk/ news_detail. asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=4810& sid=5300167& con_type=1). The Standard. . Retrieved 8 January 2007.

[22] ChannelNewsAsia.com, Malaysian ministry bans shark's fin soup (http:/ / www. channelnewsasia. com/ stories/ afp_asiapacific/ view/299995/ 1/ . html)

[23] Anderton, Jim (2007-04-01). "Full protection for great white sharks starts today" (http:/ / beehive. govt. nz/ release/ full+ protection+ great+white+ sharks+ starts+ today). New Zealand Government. . Retrieved 2008-08-27.

[24] "Save Our Sharks" (http:/ / www. forestandbird. org. nz/ Marine/ SharksPage. asp). Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of NewZealand. . Retrieved 2008-08-27.

[25] "Foodies sign pledge against shark fin soup" (http:/ / www. stuff. co. nz/ 4669469a19716. html). NZPA. 2008-08-27. . Retrieved2008-08-27.

[26] "Palau pioneers 'shark sanctuary'" (http:/ / news. bbc. co. uk/ 2/ hi/ science/ nature/ 8272508. stm) BBC News, 25 September 2009.[27] McAvoy, Audrey (Saturday, May 29, 2010). "No more eating shark fin in Hawaii after new law" (http:/ / hosted. ap. org/ dynamic/ stories/

U/ US_SHARK_FIN_BAN?SITE=CAANG& SECTION=HOME& TEMPLATE=DEFAULT). Associated Press. . Retrieved May 29, 2010.[28] http:/ / www. washingtonpost. com/ wp-dyn/ content/ article/ 2007/ 03/ 29/ AR2007032901963. html[29] http:/ / www. blackwellpublishing. com/ ecology/ news/ news. asp?id=186[30] http:/ / www. sharktrust. org/ do_download. asp?did=26336[31] http:/ / www. iwmc. org/ sharks/ 000729-3. htm[32] http:/ / abcnews. go. com/ Technology/ story?id=2616156& page=1[33] http:/ / seawitchartist. com/ shark-fin-soup. htm[34] http:/ / www. sensoryescapeimages. com/ what-is-shark-finning/

Article Sources and Contributors 6

Article Sources and ContributorsShark finning  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=375968710  Contributors: A dullard, Alan Liefting, Animal right, Apothecia, Az29, Bradrules, Caspian blue, Cybercobra,Debresser, Dominus, Elway4Ever, Epipelagic, Gimme danger, Globe-trotter, GoingBatty, Ground Zero, IrishWolfhoundJC, J04n, Jevansen, Jonathan.s.kt, Katieh5584, Kyle1278, Latitude0116,Lfstevens, LilHelpa, Lipstar, Morning277, Nathanc78, NerdyScienceDude, Opl332, Pfoggia, Philip Trueman, Pizzy999, Princess Clown, R'n'B, Rexodus, Rogerlarsen, Sblack05, Seawitch57,Sjschen, Skepticus, SlubGlub, The Thing That Should Not Be, Tide rolls, Viriditas, Wknight94, Xenophrenic, Yomangani, 62 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsFile:Shark fins.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Shark_fins.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: NOAAImage:Global shark catch graph.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Global_shark_catch_graph.png  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: User:Chris huhFile:Aileron de requin.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Aileron_de_requin.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0  Contributors: Tom Burke (Morgan Hill,CA, USA)File:Ecuadorian fishing boat.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Ecuadorian_fishing_boat.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors:Paul SteinImage:SharkFinTin9.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:SharkFinTin9.jpg  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: A. B. 10, Caspian blue,Cybercobra, Nikola Smolenski, Sun Tung Lok BOZZ, 2 anonymous edits

LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unportedhttp:/ / creativecommons. org/ licenses/ by-sa/ 3. 0/