Shark's fin delight: The end doesn't justify the means

Straits Times Forum 7 Jun 12;

I CAN empathise with Mr Paul Chan's predilection for shark's fin, being a one-time connoisseur of the delicacy and having been conditioned for half a century to expect the delectable delight during any feast of great consequence ('The great taste of shark's fin soup', Monday).

It used to be considered insulting to guests not to have shark's fin on the menu, for that meant the company was unworthy of the pricey treat. It also reflected badly on the hosts for not putting on the most impressive show of hospitality.

I gave up the habit of ordering shark's fin because I just could not justify the sacrifice of shark life for the small proportion of cartilage it offered to satisfy my gourmandise.

Tiger's teeth, rhino horns, bear claws or gall bladders and shark's fin are delicacies which provide little nourishment and really little scientifically proven salutary effect but for the psychological.

Shark's fin is totally devoid of taste, almost entirely indigestible and worse still, impregnated with mercury, a neurotoxin, which is deleterious to health.

The pristine-looking shark's fin we see on the shelves is the result of carcinogenic chemicals used to leach out the unsightly skin and other discolourations from raw fin.

Dr Yik Keng Yeong

..She will settle for the alternative
Straits Times Forum 7 Jun 12;

MR PAUL Chan described the taste of shark's fin soup as heavenly ('The great taste of shark's fin soup'; Monday). I stopped consuming the soup soon after I learnt about the cruelty and the consequences of the unsustainable demand for shark's fin soup.

The soup was tasty because of all other ingredients. The fins, by themselves, are absolutely tasteless as they merely add texture to the soup. The same soup can be made without the real fins.

Mr Chan is right that many sharks are caught as 'by-catches' by tuna fisheries. There are various options that tuna fishers can undertake to greatly reduce shark by-catches, such as to use 'weak' or 'smart' hooks when fishing for tuna, or to use nylon instead of steel leaders.

The decision for tuna fishers to make the switch ultimately lies in whether shark by-catches are a nuisance that result in capital losses or if these by-catches are actually welcomed.

When sharks are caught on tuna longlines, their fins are often retained, while their lower-value carcasses are discarded to make space for more expensive tuna on board.

Not all shark's fin comes from tuna fisheries. There are also many that target sharks for their fins.

Unlike most other fishes, sharks mature late, have long gestation periods and they reproduce very slowly. They cannot keep up with the rate we are consuming them. Shark's fin soup is not a staple in our diet and any reputable Chinese chef or restaurant today can whip up equally expensive alternatives to shark's fin soup.

Jennifer Lee (Ms)
Founder, Project: Fin

Keep shark's fin off the menu
Straits Times Forum 7 Jun 12;

MR PAUL Chan ('The great taste of shark's fin soup'; Monday) feels aggrieved that shark's fin lovers like himself are blamed for the sharp drop in the shark population. However, the shark's fin industry thrives precisely because of lucrative demand from diners like him.

The harvesting of fins from sharks that are thrown back into the oceans is in itself a cruel act. Until a solution is found to increase the dwindling shark population and for a more acceptable way of harvesting the fins, consumers should send a strong message to the suppliers who exploit nature's riches in the oceans, by not having the dish on the dining table.

Charles Tan

It's plainly cruel...
Straits Times Forum 7 Jun 12;

I HAVE always found it barbaric and cold-blooded to trap a shark for its fins and throw the rest of its body back into the ocean, where it clearly cannot survive.

I, too, agree that the taste of shark's fin soup is 'heavenly' ('The great taste of shark's fin soup' by Mr Paul Chan; Monday). I loved having that delicacy when I was a child, until I learnt of the shark-finning trade and swore off that dish.

That distinct flavour we all loved did not come from the fin itself but the ingredients that were used in the dish. Shark's fin is virtually tasteless in itself.

While shark's fin soup made from mock fins does not taste like the real deal, how is it that we can accept artificially flavoured drinks and candy and yet can't overlook that slight difference in the taste, even though using the real thing harms the marine eco-balance?

In our current society, many of our traditions have been modified. While still keeping to our cultural roots, I am sure most of us do not strictly follow many traditions.

We have evolved with the times, and so has Mother Nature. Her health has clearly deteriorated with our arrogant exploitation in the name of cultural practices.

I do agree that the decline in the shark population has to do with large-scale fisheries, but saying no to shark's fin soup can be our first tiny step.

In the end, shark's fin soup lovers are still part of the reason for the decline.

Charmaine Choo Manning (Ms)

The great taste of shark's fin soup
Straits Times Forum 4 Jun 12;

WHILE I appreciate Associate Professor Thomas Menkhoff's concern for shark's fin traders ('The cluster effect and shark's fin trade'; last Wednesday),

I disagree that artificial shark's fin can ever replace the real stuff.

Honestly, and in fairness to shark's fin soup lovers, environmentalists should take the trouble to understand why diners are drawn to the dish.

I love it because the taste can be described only as heavenly - a gift from the gods.

Artificial shark's fin made out of gelatin has not been able to replace the genuine stuff despite years of efforts.

Added to that is the cultural link: Shark's fin has been on the Chinese menu since the Ming Dynasty more than half a millennium ago.

The exponential surge of the world's population has put a strain on ocean resources. It is natural that shark populations have shrunk due to loss of their feeding habitats.

Large-scale fisheries have also depleted global fish stocks, and made sharks an unfortunate by-product of its exploitation, by killing them in the search for other fish like the blue-fin tuna.

So let us be clear about who is to blame for the significant depletion of the world's shark populations. It certainly isn't shark's fin soup lovers like me.

Paul Chan