Shark's fins menu: Why the double standards?

Ace Kindred Cheong, Straits Times Forum 4 Jun 08;

WHAT Resort World Sentosa has done to promote goodwill and highlight its commitment to the environment is very heartening, 'No shark's fin served here' (May 30).

I am a nature lover. I have attended seminars on the environment and learnt how sharks have been thrown back into the sea after having their fins cut. Why must there be such cruelty to sharks?

However, I was disappointed to read that shark's fins will be served to high-end rollers at the resort. Why the contradiction?


Some comments on the online version of this letter

#7 OrdinaryPeople- "Just imagine if the sharks are spared and the seas are full of sharks eating up all the fishes where could we get our fishes? Let's be practical. Stike a balance. Follow the laws of mother nature."

Top predators are essential in all ecosystems - so it is more likely that the opposite of what you have stated is true. Removing top predators from an ecosystem can have severe consequences that affects lower trophic levels. Just as an example, in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, catch rates of Rhinoptera cownose rays have increased at 9% per year as large sharks have declined due to overfishing of sharks. Exploding ray populations (now estimated to exceed 40 million individuals) are quickly eliminating bay Argopecten scallop populations.

Sharks also help to 'remove' harmful mercury and other heavy metals (ocean contaminants contributed by humans, of course) from lower trophic levels by being top predators.
Pregnant women should not be eating shark. For anyone interested in health warnings (issued by US and Aussie govt agencies) on the consumption of shark, check out the following links: (especially if you are planning on a Chinese wedding banquet with shark's fin on the menu, AND planning to get pregnant soon).

US Environment Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/advice/

Australian State of Victoria government website
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/b...h?OpenDocument


Another interesting point that many consumers are not aware of, is that shark fins are usually BLEACHED to give them a desirable whitish colour. The methods include smoking with SULPHUR (!!) overnight or treatment with 3 % HYDROGEN PEROXIDE (!!) for about 30 minutes (you can read all about it at the official Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations website - http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/X3690E/x3690e1g.htm. )

So if rich people want to feast on poisonous, tetratogenic and carcinogenic shark fins, I say, let them.
Posted by: ChaoCheeWai at Wed Jun 04 12:24:38 SGT 2008
I'm a chinese S'porean. I am sick of S'poreans accusing others (particularly foreigners or those who have gone overseas) of practicing imperialism by telling S'poreans not to eat sharkfins. Sharks don't observe national borders, killing one means the oceans have one less shark. i scuba dive, there are places named "Bull Run", "Shark Bay" that you don't see sharks anymore. Killing sharks has a global impact just like global warming and pollution, when the effects start to affect you, I'm afraid there's no where to run to, it affects every corner of the Earth.
Posted by: wahlau123 at Wed Jun 04 11:48:39 SGT 2008
We can eat whale meat. Not to worry. If the japs and norwegians can get away it, am sure we can too. There is hardly any fuss over killing of whales if the actions come from any nation that belongs to the west or one that they want to ally with.
Posted by: OrdinaryPeople at Wed Jun 04 11:41:18 SGT 2008
High rollers or low rollers apart shark's fins manue should be served. Just imagine if the sharks are spared and the seas are full of sharks eating up all the fishes where could we get our fishes?

Let's be practical. Stike a balance. Follow the laws of mother nature.
Posted by: steamroller at Wed Jun 04 10:52:24 SGT 2008
RWS is a business and cannot afford to offend its high rollers. It's important to remember that it didn't have to take shark fins off its menus - after all, it's not illegal to serve it. Rather than criticise companies for not going all the way, let's cheer them for at least making the effort - even if it's not perfect.
Posted by: chrispstan at Wed Jun 04 09:14:26 SGT 2008