Shark finning
[11] The regulated global catch of sharks reported to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has been stable in recent years at an annual average just over 500,000 tonnes.
The annual median for the period from 1996 to 2000 was 38 million, which is nearly four times the number recorded by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations,[21] but considerably lower than the estimates of many conservationists.
[23] Sharks have a K-selection life history, which means that they tend to grow slowly, reach maturity at a larger size and a later age, and have low reproductive rates.
"[14]Studies conducted by Creel and Christianson (2008) have shown that with a decreased population of large sharks, there was an increase in marine mammals and reptiles.
[10] Opponents also raise questions on the medical harm from the consumption of high levels of toxic mercury reportedly found in shark fins.
Since sharks are some of the largest and longest-living species in the ocean, they have a high position on the food chain, so they consume huge amounts of toxins that have accumulated in their prey.
The situation in Canada and the United States is similar: the blue shark is sought after as a sport fish while the porbeagle, mako and spiny dogfish are part of the commercial fishery....
"[citation needed]` The Australian naturalist Steve Irwin was known to walk out of Chinese restaurants if he saw shark fin soup on the menu.
[47] American chef Ken Hom sees the West doing little to protect stocks of cod and caviar-producing sturgeon despite the outcry over shark-finning, but he also stresses the wastefulness of harvesting only the fins.
[citation needed] In 2011, British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and his film crew visited Costa Rica to investigate illegal shark fin trading.
"[54] The marine conservationist, Meliane, says "Moreover, landing sharks and rays with fins attached will facilitate species identification, promote standardized data collection and reporting of official catch statistics, and eliminate potential enforcement loopholes.
[64] Recently, the NT (Northern Territory) Government implemented reforms to its shark fishery that impose stricter regulation by enforcing a 'Fins Naturally Attached' policy, in line with international and national best practise.
Nevertheless, a handful of cities soon followed, including Toronto, Calgary, Mississauga, and several others in Southern Ontario: Markham and Richmond Hill opted not to bring forth the motion, suggesting that this issue is a federal matter.
Chinese restaurants and businesses selling shark fin opposed the ban, and in late 2011, suggested that they will challenge the by-laws before the courts once fines are imposed.
In late 2012, the Ontario Superior Court overturned Toronto's shark fin ban, ruling that the law as written was outside the powers of the city to impose without a "legitimate local purpose," and was therefore of "no force and effect."
[81] Calgary's city council decided to wait until December 2013 to recommended leaning away from a total ban and look for ethical sources of shark products.
Canada's city of Vancouver's Councillor Kerry Jang said at Calgary's council meeting that it was not a "cultural thing," and that even China and the Chinese government decided to phase out all shark fins from state banquets.
He also mentioned that the wordings of the bylaws in Calgary and Toronto, which face legal problems with municipal jurisdiction, are trying to ban possession and consumption, but that is hard to enforce and regulate.
[83] NBA All-Star Chinese basketball player Yao Ming pledged to stop eating shark fin soup at a news conference on 2 August 2006.
[84][85] American basketball player Tracy McGrady, a teammate of Yao's, reportedly stated that he was impressed by the soup when he tried it for the first time, but was criticized by the Hong Kong branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature for his remark.
After being targeted in a May 2016 protest at Hong Kong International Airport,[90] Cathay Pacific in June 2016 announced they would stop shipping shark fin.
[91] Hong Kong Disneyland removed shark fin soup from its wedding banquet menu after international pressure from environmental groups, who threatened to boycott its parks worldwide despite the high demand for the delicacy.
The Environment Justice Foundation comments that the new regulation would facilitate port inspections and law enforcement, helping reduce illegal sharking finning.
President Johnson Toribiong also called for a ban on global shark finning, stating: "These creatures are being slaughtered and are perhaps at the brink of extinction unless we take positive action to protect them.
The supermarket is a subsidiary of Dairy Farm, a leading pan-Asian food retailer that operates more than 5,300 outlets and employs some 80,000 people in the Asia-Pacific region.
[110] The largest supermarket chain in Singapore, NTUC FairPrice and hypermarket Carrefour will also be banning all shark fin products from its outlets before April 2012.
[113] In 2002, in an apparent early success in stopping the shark fin trade, the United States intercepted and seized the King Diamond II, a U.S.-flagged, Hong Kong-based vessel bound for Guatemala.
The bill was included in the National Defense Authorization Act which was signed into law in December 2022, and fully banned the shark fin trade in the United States.
[131] California governor Jerry Brown cited the cruelty of finning and potential threats to the environment and commercial fishing in signing the bill.
Now, this is an important aspect to consider, as where anti-finning and environmental groups can be successful in terms of decreasing the consumption and the practice of shark finning.
