Chinese finish shark for fins

The conservation group WildAid today called on the Chinese to act immediately to stem China's insatiable appetite for shark fin soup. According to a report by Wildaid China accounts for 90 percent of worldwide shark fin consumption, with increasing wealth creating an unsustainable demand.

The reported trade in fins has increased from 4,900 metric tonnes in 1987 to 13,600 metric tonnes in 2004. The fins are traditionally served as soup when occasion calls for a display of wealth.

WildAid president Steve Trent stated: "Recent research has proven that many shark species and populations have experienced precipitous declines over the past 20 years, some by as much as 99 per cent."

You can read the report here (PDF).

About WildAid

WildAid's mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes.
WildAid focuses on reducing the demand for unsustainable and illegal wildlife products through public and policy m maker education.

WildAid's Shark Conservation Program aims to:

  • Raise awareness globally about threats to sharks
  • Promote sustainable management of shark populations
  • End the practice of finning globally
  • Reduce excess demand for shark fin

Update

Ecuador legalises sale of shark fins

In a move that has horrified ecologists and led to the daily slaughter of hundreds of sharks off the coast of Ecuador, President Rafael Correa legalized the sale of shark fin. While it is still illegal to catch shark, accidentally caught shark may be kept and sold. And with no clear way of telling whether a shark has been accidentally killed or not; the move is being seen by many in the fishing communities that President Rafael Correa is courting, in the run up to constituent assembly elections, as a green light to freely catch shark.


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