SHARK FINNING

Sharks are found throughout the world’s oceans, from deep waters to coastal shallows, as well as rivers and lakes. They are apex predators, highly evolved creatures that play an integral part in the marine ecosystem.  Jaws the 1975 Hollywood Blockbuster, imprinted on the minds of a generation the notion of this man-eating killer patrolling the beaches of the world. The reality could not be further from the truth with the chance of being attacked by a shark statistically remote. On average five people a year are fatally attacked by sharks globally, a figure that is dwarfed by the number of sharks taken from the oceans.

Shark Finning is the process of cutting off the animal’s fins before throwing the carcass back into the sea unused. Often the shark is still alive and slowly sinks to the bottom to die an agonizing death. Wet fins typically make up 5% of a shark’s body weight with the rest of the animal thrown back as it has low commercial value and takes up valuable freezer space.

Unsurprisingly, many of the fishermen involved in the shark finning industry are reluctant to report catches; so accurate figures are difficult to calculate. The general consensus however, agrees that anywhere upwards of 100 million sharks and rays are caught each year. This hugely unsustainable figure has lead to a decline in many shark populations of up to 80% and in some populations to a 95% reduction.

The affects of this unregulated slaughter could be devastating. Sharks sit on top of marine food chains, and as numbers diminish there will consequently be an alteration in the balance of the ecosystem. This may include a crash in certain commercially important fisheries. As has been seen with the shellfish industry in the USA and the Lobster industry in Tasmania.

The Finning trade continues due to the demand for Shark Fin Soup in some Far East cultures. Traditionally the fins are consumed on special occasions as a means of honoring guests and to display prosperity.  Once removed from the shark and cleaned, the fins are either dried or frozen for transport and storage. The fins themselves have no flavor or nutritional value and are used as a thickening agent. Chicken or fish stock is then added to provide flavor to the soup.
In recent years an increase in the average wealth of consumers and an improved efficiency of catch methods have lead to further exploitation of shark populations. This has pushed up prices with a large whale shark fin now commanding upwards of $15,000. The current rise in the market price continues to make shark fin an extremely valuable commodity in what is a totally unsustainable industry,

The global industry in shark fin is highly lucrative with over 100 countries involved in trading and many dealers having a multimillion-dollar annual turnover. In certain parts of the world criminal gangs such as the Triads control the industry, employing violence to tighten their grip on the trade. These buyers have resorted to encouraging artisanal fishers to take up shark fishing and target local populations by providing free boats and fishing gear, together with a guaranteed market outlet. This has left many coastal shark populations severely depleted even in the remotest of locations, as any Scuba diver will testify.

Indonesia has the highest elasmobranch diversity of any country with approximately 140 shark and ray species identified. Unfortunately, it also has the world’s largest shark fishery with an estimated 200 thousand tonnes of shark caught each year (Finning and long-lining). Much of this catch is exported to the markets of China, Hong Kong and Singapore. Companies selling shark fins are common on Lombok and neighboring islands with much of their product passing through Bali on its way to the aforementioned countries. Sharks Fin Soup can also be readily bought at restaurants in Bali and throughout Indonesia.

With such a wealth of biodiversity at its disposal and an opportunity to lead the way in marine conservation, the Indonesian government is doing little to prevent this unsustainable trade. At Jakarta airport shark fin is on sale to passengers doing little to support what is becoming an increasingly desperate situation.

Though NGO’s and conservation organizations are lobbying governments to stop the practice of Shark Finning, the wholesale slaughter of sharks continues at pace and will do so for as long as the market drives it. As consumers we have a moral responsibility to try and halt this trade by refusing to eat shark fin or purchase any products derived from sharks. Boycott restaurants with shark on the menu and explain to the management why you are doing so. Only when attitudes change and sharks are viewed as the majestic creatures they are, crucial to the health of the marine environment, will we be able to put an end to this global slaughter. Let’s just hope that by then it is not too late!

written by Chris M Parker (R.O.L.E's Marine Biologist)

ROLE believes that the health of the Marine Environment and the health of Coastal Communities are inextricably linked.
Over fishing, coastal beachfront development, ever increasing waste discharge and upstream pollutants have placed marine resources, including tropical coral reefs and lagoons, and local fisheries in sharp environmental decline. The income derived, the food sourced and the protein and nutrition attained from these recourses by most coastal communities have dried up or become insufficient.

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