The banning of shark fin soup, a Chinese delicacy, has been in the news lately. I didn’t think it was a big deal until I heard HOW the fins were obtained.
According to a news story I heard, the fins are literally cut off and then the shark’s body is thrown back into the sea, to become fish food. If not eaten, the shark essentially drowns because it cannot swim. 🙁 The rest of the shark’s body isn’t used because its flesh is “tasteless”.
(I cannot confirm this as an epicurean fact because I have never eaten shark.)
In Rob Stewart’s 2006 documentary, Sharkwater, Stewart examines WHO the enemy really is, shark or man? And now the Canadian filmmaker is spearheading – pardon the pun – the campaign to ban the sale/use of shark fin.
Knowing what I know now, plus the fact that the Great White Shark is currently on the list of endangered species, I think that I’m okay with not eating this dish of delicious death!
Besides, I’m sure we can think of an ingenious replacement, fit for human consumption, for shark fin…
I am all for banning it. An ethnic tradition or not. I wouldn’t want to see an animal go extinct. That goes for any animal on the endangered list.
are we talking about banning it worldwide or in Canada?
I’m neutral on this case, even though I understand that eating shark fin is just pointless (with no nutrients at all) but I’m chinese and I can see how impact this can cause.
Just like banning dolphin killing in Japan, this just leads to illegal ways of obtaining.
I would prefer to see “farming” for food purposes instead of hunting in the wild.
I think for most part Ontario?
Before you jump on a band wagon make sure it is valid and do your homework. Not that I am in favor of the way some of the shark is obtained (throwing the body back into the sea!) But make sure that the source is not being paid to tell you the story. Personally I haven’t tried the soup but I have had a broiled shark “steak” so if we can eat the steak of the shark and utilize it in different foods why wouldn’t we. To me the shark tasted like a less oily version of halibut. I have real problems about organizations claiming to be not for profit and then you find out they are out for money and don’t give you all the facts, WWF is a big one that is bad for that, so is PETA when their leaders make big bucks they are worried about a paycheck for themselves and not about sustainable ecosystems which is what we should all be trying to do for our planet.
while they’re at it, why don’t they ban the Calgary Stampede?
and they should also ban fois gras, bluefin tuna and other red-listed fish, if councillors are so concerned with endangered species and animal cruelty. otherwise, it’s just unfair to target something to further political agendas.
I’m chinese and I buy vegetarian shark fin soup (it’s made from some kind of soy). More env-friendly and cheaper. 😀
http://news.ca.msn.com/local/toronto/toronto-councillors-launch-shark-fin-ban-campaign
I’m Chinese and I grew up eating shark’s fin soup!
But ever since learning about the process of obtaining the shark’s fin, my family and I have decided to no longer consume/support this trade. It’s just too wasteful. I personally don’t really think it’s *that* tasty and there’s nothing “special” about it. Not something we’ll miss. I’d rather spend all that $$$ on some delicious fried oysters or something 🙂
Coming from a recently (6 months or so) converted vegetarian…
There are plenty of cruel ways that meat is obtained – this isn’t the only one, or the worst. I think what’s done to milking cows is pretty horrific, personally – but how much milk do people consume every day?
What I’m coming to terms with is that not everyone’s going to agree with my food choices, and I’m not going to agree with everyone else. My standard of cruel is not another persons’. The stories about the shark fin soup probably ARE embellished at least a little, and I’m sure there are some pseudo ‘farms’ that produce this soup. I -do- know that two of my friends have gone vegetarian in my wake – and I haven’t preached to them ONCE, they just saw what I was doing and it made them think. Other friends avoid meat when they’re around me (though I would never ask them to), and get excited about new vegetarian recipes/restaurants they’ve found.
I think a great place for the change to stem is Canada – with such a large Asian population, it seems that if citizens here start naysaying it, a bit of a revolution will start (and probably already has)… and this will spread to their families in Canada, which will spread to their families in Asia. ETC. Just my hunch.
In keeping with the spirit of this site…. no coupons– no shark fin soup…
And really how any people here have actually had shark soup?
I hate how some of you are arguing this?!!! Go watch the shark documentary! they follow poatchers undercover, and they show you exactly what they do to those sharks, they cut of there fins, and leave them to drown and die in the oceans, shark fin soup is useless, it does not bring you hope and whatever else the myth says about eating it, Theres a shark fin soup place here in Ottawa, but it got banned so now it GONE thank – god, who would ever support that kind of treatment towards those animals? and for 99$ a bowl? get out a here.
as for mandee’s statement, all I have to say is, your an idiot.
If they just take the fins its kind of like killing Rhinos and Elephants just for the tusks…….
That’s terrible!!!! I am in no way a vegetarian (but I would never attack someone who is) but that is cruel. I have eaten shark steak one time, and it was alright, but I know that they didn’t catch the shark, cut a chunk out, and throw him back in. I’m all for banning it, but as someone said, people will still find a way to do it illegally. But hopefully it won’t be done as much. 🙁
Mandee is correct. Those are also endangered animals or animals fed in an inhumane way (arguably). Trixyluxx should be careful with her comments.
As for the author, Great White are not a big source of shark fins for shark fin soup.
@ caffeine:
I hope you read this because I’m wondering where you get your vegetarian fin soup. I’d like to try it! 🙂
Shark fin has no taste and it’s just the meat broth and optional vinegar that make it taste good so it’s really pointless to even eat it. Just drink the broth and put some glass noodles in if you must.
I’m so glad Toronto is working towards banning shark fin soup.
The thinking man must oppose all cruel customs no matter how deeply rooted in tradition and surrounded by a halo. When we have a choice, we must avoid bringing torment and injury into the life of another, even the lowliest creature; to do so is to renounce our manhood and shoulder a guilt which nothing justifies.
— Albert Schweitzer
I’ve had shark burgers and they are pretty tasty. Shark can be harvested in an eco-friendly manner where all the animal is used.
It’s all pathetic political posturing. Unless there is a genuine effort undertaking all over the world, let’s not waste time and money instead focus on what the communities issues are.
Mike and Mandee are rediculous. This is only ONE of the many, many bad things that are happening on this earth because of human greed. Yes, PETA and other animal organizations also want foie gras banned…
The examples you are using are uneducated and just a waste of space on this site. It also doesn’t surprise me that an asian would have that point of view, because you are the one eating it.
…and for the record, I do think the Calgary Stampede should be banned; rodeos, the circus, etc… Why should animals be the subject of our entertainment in such a cruel way?
What about the Seal Hunt?
People I know have eaten shark… but not necessarily “shark fin”. We also can’t assume that all “shark fins” are obtained in a non-humane fashion.
i think they should start farming shark like salmon and other fish farms something more controlled,, Hmm isnt there anything either to eat besides shark fins,, really.. or maybe imitation shark fin, like imitation crab
i find it interesting that someone calling facts uneducated and a waste of space lacks the ability to spell the word ridiculous.
while we’re at it, why don’t we ban all the religions that go against the canadian charter of rights and freedoms.
Personally, while I’ve eaten it because I’m Chinese it was never that special. I always preferred fish maw soup. I heard about how they harvest the fins and it is downright cruel.
Mandee and Mike got that right!
Obviously, this story reflects the typical double standard in our country.
I got an email with pictures about this like 10 years ago. Since then, I have sripped wating it
Mandee’s got it right!
I’m white, and I’ve been eating Shark Fin at Chinese weddings and parties, it’s awesome!
Banning it won’t do shit, nor it will never happen. The government has waaaaaay to many problems to worry about. And also, people have been against Seal Clubbing in Canada for a long time. Has the government done s? NO. Oh and how about Japanese Whaling fleets? Yeah, they’re still hunting happily.
Also, rich people in China and Canada eat this for soup like everyday. If you ban it, there will even be higher demand for it, they will still find a way to get either way.
***edited for all the fowl languag*****
I wonder why this got so much more press vs. dolphin slaughters. I think people don’t really associate the Japanese with slaughtering dolphins, but when it comes to banning shark fin soup, everyone’s on board. Don’t get me wrong, I only eat it at special occasions but don’t care that much for it… I just wonder why this just became such a big issue all of a sudden. I think it’s easy to focus on changing laws that ban things; how much investment do you need exactly to implement such a policy? Fixing bigger social problems though are more difficult, and one I’m sure most people stay away from because it’s hard to think of a solution. :/
From reading the comments above, I see I am not the one wondering about this. What’s next, banning certain breeds of dogs because it’s easy? OH wait….
I’ve eaten shark’s fin when i lived in Hong Kong, although it was probably a fake one since it was cheap and at the school cafeteria =P Tasted, gooey if i recall. Not bad, but not good.
I don’t know if the practice of throwing the fish back is widespread, i am not that well informed and don’t trust any western media that would tell me it is. I can tell you that i’ve visited fishermen’s villages where they would have many sharks (and other fishes) hung to dry, so obviously they do use other parts of the shark.
I can also tell you that as a general principle, chinese eat everything on an animal, not just the muscles and fat like most westerners do. Brains, feet, eyes, intestines… They will eat all animals if there is a nutriens to it. It goes with being so many i guess, they can’t afford to be picky or wasteful. So throwing a entire shark back seems very out of character for chinese culture.
But again, i do NOT know if the practice is true, or to what extent. If it is true then i am against it because of the waste, not the cruelty. We do far more cruel things to farm animals.
It’s wasteful and it’s cruel. End of story.
As for it being an Asian tradition, I can name at least five vegetarian Chinese resturants in the Toronto and surrounding areas that have delicious shark-fin alternatives.
There is absolutely no need for the blood-stained version of this food product within any our different communities.
I say, it’s about time someone is actually trying to do something about it. I have learn of this cruelty some twenty years ago and have stopped drinking shark fin soup since. I didn’t even serve it at our wedding eventhough it is a tradition to do so. Shark fin are basically tasteless, but people eat it for its texture and it also a “show off” since it is so expensive.
Yes, we have many issues in this world. There have been many that i’ve learn in my youth but all of a sudden they are just being realized and have been brought into the light these last few years. Eg. Without giving away my age lol, i was part of the movement in getting the seal hunt banned back in the seventies. It is very hard to change human culture and traditions that have evolved over the centuries, but we cannot just sit back, do nothing and just point fingers and critize. The earth have changed and we have to change with it so we don’t exhaust its resources. Since people are so set in their ways, we need to take one step at a time. So if one person attempts to take on one specific issue, even if it’s just in one city, all the power to her/him.
Out of curiosity… Sharks are dangerous and harmful to human kind. Then why do we bother protecting them?
I have to agree with Mandee. When there are animals being produced for our consumption, there will always be cruelty but someone. I think that just because of one video, the councilors are banning a food type is an uneducated decision. As Mandee said, why not ban some of the other animal based foods. How about chicken… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry_farming or Pork http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intensive_pig_farming.
The video had one group of “journalists” follow one group of poachers. I’m sure not all people that collect shark fins are like that.
Brittany, the comment “It also doesn’t surprise me that an asian would have that point of view, because you are the one eating it.” That is just plain racism. To me that is plain and simple an uneducated comment. Shame on you!!
Shark attacks apparently do not occur that often if you want that documentary compared to other death factors like hunger. Beside, the ocean needs sharks for the purpose of the food chain. The sharks is the top predator and helps maintain order in the ocean.
Also, there are other alternatives to shark fin soup taste wise and there seem to be no purpose for the shark fin except for culture values.
I had came to the point maybe 3-4 years ago that no matter what that I would never eat at a restaurant that sells shark fin soup. It is so crewel
I’ve had shark’s fin soup since my toddler days. I admit, I love the stuff. But aside from the cruelty aspect, to which (flame away) isn’t my main concern (IMHO you can’t toot the cruelty argument unless you arr a bonafide vegetarian – echoing the previous point – if people only knew what their meat went through before it was packaged and sold at Sobey’s) but the real issue is sustainability. As the middle class grows in China, there’s bound to be an increase in demand. Sure ban it in Canada, but I trully don’t think the Chinese (as a country not worldwide ethnicity) is going to care and that’s just the honest truth.
@ Patricia
I buy the vegetarian shark fin at some asian store down by scarborough.. sorry I’m not being specific *__* There are too many stores for me to remember.
And yeah I have to agree shark fin doesn’t taste like much. But I suppose that’s besides the point… I mean if it was SUPER YUMMY people would still have the same issues with the method it’s obtained, there’s always going to be people like that anywhere.
I also feel like it’s only an issue now because the media finally brought attention to it, but there’s probably worst things done to animals out there. I mean face it, some people only found out because of news lately. There’s probably something else that other people enjoy that are obtained in cruel methods as well, but just not known to the public. I don’t know what my point is, I guess what I’m trying to say is that, ok, so the public is enraged, cool, but can you stop all the other things going on out there? There will always be a demand for these things, despite the methods, sadly. I know that there ARE people who care and will stop buying these products/even hate on the people killing the sharks [which btw that’s just their jobs], but there are a lot of people who, simply put, don’t give a damn.
Plus most people are going to just forget this in days. There’s a lot more messed up things going on in China that, if the media sheds more light on it, will just cover up this whole shark issue. I’m chinese and I’m not proud of it but yeah, that’s just how it is.
I say banning people eating shark fin is nonsense!! Is the same as banning people from eating chicken, beef(cow), pork(pig), fish, crab and other meat products.
There is alway some kind of animal cruelty exist when you kill ANY kind living things. Some people might think it is wasteful or unnecessary to eat shark fin is because simply they don’t eat such thing, and i thought is more of a selfish act. Is the same as banning Japanese people from eating sushi or raw fish!
Rather people are targeting a nationality or racism on an ethnic group. I mean if you don’t like Pizza or Pasta, DONT EAT IT DONT BANNED IT!!
And if YOU are such an animal lover or protector, why do you eat chicken, beef(cow), pork(pig), fish, crab and other meat products. Why are you so sure that there isn’t animal cruelty exist during process?! and if you are a vegetarian, support this simply means you are a selfish person.
and
@ Trixxylux
“shark fin soup is useless, it does not bring you hope and whatever else the myth says about eating it”
I hate reading how people are going “WELL IT TASTE LIKE NOTHING ANYWAIOMGZ” … that’s not the point! I thought we were focusing on its method of HOW it’s obtained? Your preference on its taste is irrelevant. I love olives, and my friend hates it = no one cares. By the way I’m not aware of any food that will boost one’s hope, not even shark fin.
@ Brittany
“It also doesn’t surprise me that an asian would have that point of view, because you are the one eating it.”
Comments like these make you look incredibly dull.
By the way not all asians eat shark fins. I have caucasian friends that eat shark fin and more chinese food than I even know about. I like my steak medium rare. What about you?
I always thought that animal rights activists had their priorities wrong. How about we work on making sure there’s no human being in the world without steady access food, shelter and education first and worry about animals after we get the first problem fixed?
Dolphin fin soup anyone???
One of the things that bothered me was the slaughtering of whale sharks – just for the fin. I get that the more we decimate the ocean of living species, plus polluting at random, has a huge snowball effect on the rest of the planet. Somehow, a lot of people can’t make that connection. It’s astonishing what we want to keep without being aware of/acknowledging the process and its impact on our wants (not needs but wants)
Does anyone here know if Shark Fin Soup is sold in Thunder Bay Ontario? E-mail me at [email protected] if you can answer that question.
MR’s comments are disturbing. The point of this debate and ban is to curb the over fishing and destruction of the world’s shark populations. If the apex predator of an ecosystem disappears the whole food chain is thrown out of whack and huge consequences will be seen. This isn’t just about animal cruelty. Its more of conservation and species survival. There isn’t a person on the planet that would say we don’t have enough cows, pigs or Chicken out there because if anything there is far to many. So your argument MR is short sighted and very ignorant.
Oh my… I do not eat any fish…( not an allergy..I just instantly vomit) been this way from a kid..so why torture myself) but I am not on the boat for any fish killing.. I can not bring myself to even having a little one in my house, I can not pass judgement on this issue… I eat animals (cow…chicken..pig)
Hrm… yes I think it’s wasteful.
If they are going to use the fin, find a use for the rest of the shark too. Don’t let it suffer and die that way. I mean there is shark meat, i’ve seen it, so I don’t see why they can’t sell the rest of it. I don’t understand why some ethnicities find a specific body part of an animal to be so delicious, that you have to waste the rest of the animal too. I am totally against anybody eating an animal while alive. That is totally gross but happens all the time. I’m not picking on any one culture, but there seem to be many cultures who value the virtue of one part of an animal and the rest goes to waste. If they use the whole animal, I’m fine with that. It’s the waste that bothers me.
I’ve had shark fin soup and it really has no taste. It’s just cartilage in a plain broth. The attraction is that it’s a ‘prestige’ item to impress friends at a banquet (weddings, etc)I saw a documentary about it and it was so inhumane! They kill hundreds and hundreds, maybe thousands of sharks for this, not just a few. I’m no big fan of sharks, but this practice should be banned.
Wow … This is really way more controversial than I thought it would be after reading all the comments …
Everyone is entitled to their own thoughts and opinions – however it doesn’t mean you can attack people via couponers forum!
Whoever made than borderline racist comment about Mandee should apologize because that was completely unnecessary and quite honestly rude and distasteful.
Also – calling other people idiots is equally unproductive.
Lets lay off the insults.
…….for eff sakes. Everyone should be entitled to share their opinions without being insulted.
I’m not sharing my opinion because I don’t want to be attacked! My post is simply to get you guys to retract the claws and keep things at a respectful tone.
leave all animals be.humans will not be happy until every animal in the world is hunted to extinction.how would these hunters and people eating this soup had a body part ripped off and then were left to bleed to death.wake up humans all life is precious so let them live their lives as you do yours.
I’m happy right now eating all the stuff I wanna eat. So stop pretending that you actually care about the world. We destroy it everyday and it’s not going to stop. That’s the truth. You’re not going to get the 6 billion people in the world to stop doing bad things.
Fact is that we have enough resources right now in our lifetime for decades. Now before you say “OMG THINK ABOUT OUR FUTURE CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN”. Worst comes to worst, the Government will obviously find a way to stop reproduction if resources do some to an end.
I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be as greedy as I can be in my life until I die. I’ll do whatever I want, eat whatever I want. Resources are there to serve mankind, why not use it?
I believe that by boycotting big ticket items like cars (now refered to as “Fin Soup Rides”) produced by nations that mutilate sharks will quickly drive the point home to them and yield a change in their daily menu as well. We are living in the twenty first century and cruelty of this nature should not be condoned. Putting scenario into a simplified form to gain a perspective by example: “Come here little dog/shark, all we want are your legs/fins and then you can go home and we’ll have our soup”.
I believe that by boycotting big ticket items like cars (now refered to as “Fin Soup Rides”) produced by nations that mutilate sharks will quickly drive the point home to them and yield a change in their daily menu as well. We are living in the twenty first century and cruelty of this nature should not be condoned. Putting this scenario into a simplified form to gain a perspective by example: “Come here little dog/shark, all we want are your legs/fins and then you can go home and we’ll have our soup”.