Shark fin soup is a soup or broth of Chinese origin made with shark fin and flavoured with chicken or some other stock. The fin itself has very little flavour and it is used primarily to add texture to the dish and because it is seen as a delicacy. Shark fin soup is not cheap - it can easily cost upwards of $100 per bowl, shark fin soup is being consumed in vast quantities, placing an unsustainable and crippling demand on shark populations.
This I can deal with but the fact is that Shark fining is the practice of slicing off the shark's fins while the shark is still alive and throwing the rest of its body back into the ocean where it can take days to die what must be an agonising death. Some sharks starve to death, others are slowly eaten by other fish, and some drown, because sharks need to keep moving to force water through their gills for oxygen. Shark fins are used as the principal ingredient of shark fin soup, an Asian "delicacy". Demand for shark fin soup has rocketed in recent years due to the increased prosperity of China and other countries in the Far East. Shark fin soup, which can easily cost $100 a bowl, is often served at wedding celebrations so that the hosts can impress their guests with their affluence. Fishermen are only interested in the fins because shark meat is of low economical value and takes up too much space in the hold. It also contains urea, which turns to ammonia once the shark has died and contaminates other fish.
Shark fin itself is tasteless, it just provides a gelatinous bulk for the soup which is flavoured with chicken or other stock. Many people, especially the consumers, are unaware of the suffering that fining causes. Tens of millions of sharks are slaughtered every year to satisfy the demand for shark fin soup; at least 8,000 tonnes of shark fins are shipped to restaurants around the world. Fishermen report that sharks are getting smaller because they are not being given time to mature. How they kill sharks and leave them to die is illegal, however people do it anyway. Most people are afraid of sharks but to tell the truth, coconuts kill more people then sharks do. And no animal should have such a miserably, horribly, barbaric way of dieing.
Let’s start putting a end to this and not support, this massacre! Do not eat shark fin soup or go to the restaurants. (Wow I said a lot!)
Thank you, for reading!!!!! And please, don't support shark fining! If you want to see more here is the place where i got my info!! http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/index.htm
Memi-
heheheh I remember I did this for my rant in English :)
ReplyDeleteI thought you'd find this funny. it's from the Shark Savers, the organization that helps to ban shark fin. I hope you don't mind me taking up a lot of space.
'Twas A Shark-y Night before Christmas:
T'was the night before Christmas, when all through the seas
All the creatures were swimming, at peace and at ease.
The finners at dock, not catching a thing,
A sea shanty of yore instead did they sing.
Children everywhere nestled snug in their beds,
Visions of healthy reefs swirled in their heads.
And Shark Savers everywhere in their Shark Savers' gear
Headed to the ocean to see if sharks might be near.
When out on the waters there arose such a clatter,
We donned our dive-gear to check on the matter.
Away to the reef we swam in a flash,
And spied a habitat, devoid of all trash!
Moon on the crests of the rippling waves
Gave the lustre of mid-day to animals saved.
When, what to our wondering eyes should we find,
But a magical ship, surrounded by marine life, all kinds.
With a little old diver, so lively and quick,
We knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than tunas his escorts they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
"Now Thresher! now, Mako! now, Spinner and White Tip!
On, Tiger! On, Silky! on, Dusky and Black Tip!
To the top of the sea! to the nearest sea-wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
As wild waves that before the wild hurricane flail,
When met with an obstacle, they set a broad sail.
So across the seven seas the entourage flew,
With the ship full of hope, and St Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, we heard in the air
The splashing and leaping of each shark that was there.
As we surfaced to see, and looked all around,
Onto the bowsprit, St Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in kelp, from his feet to his dome,
And his clothes were glistening with splashes of sea-foam.
A bundle of tools he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a sailor, just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! Full of mischievous scheme!
His cheeks were like roses, his face from a dream!
His droll little mouth was smiling so wide,
The beard of his chin neatly braided each side.
A dive knife he held tight in his teeth,
Wrapped in seaweed like a small Christmas wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
He was chubby and plump, more pirate than elf,
And he laughed when he saw us, in spite of himself!
A wink of his eye and a tilt of his head,
Soon gave us to know we had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
Cutting nets and long-lines with a quick, final jerk.
Then raised his arms in a victory pose,
And giving a nod, up to the ocean surface he rose!
He sprang to his ship, then to the sharks gave a cheer,
And away they all swam, finally free, without any fear.
But we heard him exclaim, 'ere he sailed out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a safe-night!"
Ha Ha Ha Ha, thanks Kiki. Amazing poem!!
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