WITH AN ESTIMATED 100 MILLION SHARKS SLAUGHTERED EVERY YEAR,
WE TAKE A LOOK AT HOW COUNTRIES’ PRACTICES AND POLICIES ARE
IMPACTING THE SHARK FIN TRADE IN ASIA
Text Hastings Forman
environment
Shark fin – and shark meat –
is widely consumed in Asia. Shark
fin soup is a notable Chinese and
Vietnamese delicacy: Such is the
prestige associated with the cuisine
that it is traditionally served at
wedding banquets. At a restaurant, a
single bowl can set you back USD100.
But over the course of the last two
decades – with the help of big names
such as Jackie Chan and Yao Ming, as
well as hotel groups, restaurants and
airlines – people all over the continent,
particularly the youth, are turning
their backs on shark fin in the name
environmental consciousness. China,
a large consumer, has notably banned
the dish at state functions.
A 2016 poll by WWF Singapore
found that over three-quarters of
Singaporeans want government
policy to counter the consumption
of shark fin. Similarly, a 2014 report
by WildAid, an organisation that
works to reduce demands for wildlife
products, surveyed Chinese consumers
online and found that 85 percent of
IMAGE © SHUTTERSTOCK
IMAGE © SHUTTERSTOCK