Shark finished
A bowl of shark fin soup at a banquet has traditionally been a symbol of wealth and social status in China. However, a feast for some spells a nightmare for these ferociously beautiful marine creatures, whose population is declining at an alarming rate due to being hunted for their fins. This situation is aggravated when the economy rises and the shark fin delicacy becomes affordable for many more people across the country.
It is reported that the Chinese mainland, plus Hong Kong and Taiwan, consumes more than 95 percent of the world's shark fin. WWF reports that every year, around 73 million sharks are hunted around the world. China's State Council is planning to ban shark fins from being served at official banquets within three years, Xinhua reported.
Shark fin was once promoted as being richly nutritious, but modern technology has found it only contains plain nutrients, with protein being the chief component. Marine biologists reported a high composition of mercury and other heavy metals in the fins, as a result of their gradual accumulation in sharks who are on top of the marine food chain.
A small town in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, is at the center of this cruel industry. More than 90 percent of imported sharks in China are processed in the town of Puqi before being shipped around the country to end up on the tables of lavish restaurants and hotels.
Shark fin processing is a lucrative business in Puqi, which has been involved in the industry since the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Now the more than 20 factories turn over 250 million yuan ($39 million) every year. But workers make less than 2,000 yuan per month and may have never tasted the prized dish, which usually costs hundreds of yuan a bowl, though they have been dismembering sharks for decades.
Global Times
