1. Shark Finning - Abreu 1
Shark Finning
Wilden Abreu
Professor Ruhren
BIO 262: Introductory Ecology

2. Shark Finning - Abreu 2
Abstract
This paper exams shark finning and the effects it has on individuals and marine
environments along with current issues surrounding the topic. Shark fining is estimated to
cost the lives of 73 million sharks per year as the demand for it increases in Europe and
Asian cultures.Shark finning is the process by which sharks have their primary and
sometimes secondary fins removed. Sharks are then dumped back into the water and left
to bleed out proving to be wasteful and hurting food security. The high demand for shark
fins has risen recently due to increases in demand and due to its high market value. Shark
populations have been affected and have become worrisome to Ecologist who believes
sharks are on its way to being extinct. Laws and bans have been put in place to help
conserve the population, but overfishing of sharks can cause numerous problems and
ecological issues in marine environments. By enforcing these laws and promoting shark
awareness, shark finning can be controlled and ultimately preserve shark populations
around the world.

3. Shark Finning - Abreu 3
Shark finning is defined as the process by which sharks have their fins removed
and soon after, their bodies are dumped back into the sea and left for dead (Meliane
2003). The international demand for shark fins and their high market price has increased
throughout the years and has subsequently cause a drastic decrease in shark population
(Santana-Garcon et all, 2012). The discarding of sharks after finning is not only wasteful
(the fins only account for 2-5% of the shark), but it also threatens many shark types, has a
negative effect of the marine-ecosystem and alters the traditional sustainability of
traditional fisheries (Meliane 2003). To combat these issues, shark-finning laws have
been created and enforced in over 30 countries, but their implementation methods
ultimately dictate if these rules are successful (Santana-Garcon et all, 2012). Some argue
that it’s unconstitutional to prohibit the possession, sale and distribution of shark fins, due
to its cultural importance, but politicians and ecologist believe that these laws are
necessary in order to prevent the extinction of sharks (Sankin 2012).
Shark finning dates back to the Chinese Ming dynasty, where those who were
privileged enough to buy fins, ate shark fin soup as a symbolic gesture to demonstrate
how wealthy they were (Bird 2001). With the Chinese population and prosperity rate
increasing in the last few years, middleclass individuals could now afford to purchase the
fins levels of demand never seen before (Colley 2011). The soup, said to be tasteless,
uses shark fins as an added texture to the soup. The fins are cleaned and boiled for hours
at a time to get rid of its strong smell and then dried off. The soup is finished off usually
with chicken broth, and is usually sold in restaurants for $100 (Bird 2001). The soup is
served at multicourse banquets, weddings, anniversaries, and at corporate or state
functions; the soup is a “must have” menu item (Wassener 2012). With high prices for

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soups, the shark finning business is estimated at 500 million annually and it is also to
blame for the estimated 73 million sharks slaughtered every year (Colley 2011).
Laws and policies have been passed in the last few years in order to control and
prevent the horrible slaughter and removal of shark fins. It is illegal to go shark finning in
waters of the European Union, United States, Australia, and among others, but a black
market still exist to meet the demands for fins (Wall 2012). Ecologists argue that these
laws need to be in place everywhere not only to maintain the shark population, but also to
keep the marine ecosystem balanced (Meliane 2003). Most finning laws limit the
allowable fin-to-carcass-mass ratio allowed (fins landed must be proportional to bodies
landed) or entirely prohibits the removal of shark fins at sea (Santana-Garcon et all,
2012). These laws will help with the overexploitation of sharks and will help provide a
more accurate assessment of the shark population. Illegal shark finning and the black
market make it impossible to know how many sharks are left and could intervene with
conservation since the current data is poor (Clark et all, 2006).
Overfishing is an issue seen in all types of fish, but it is a major issue when it
comes to sharks because of the rate at which they reproduce. Sharks grow slowly and
don’t reach sexual maturity until they are 12 -14 years old therefore it is important to
maintain the sharks we have now alive (Wall 2012). The fishing bans allow for the
monitoring and promotion of conservation and sustainability of sharks in order to
maintain the species alive (Meliane 2003). It is believed that at least 126 of the 460 shark
species are threatened by extinction causing a major problem in the marine ecosystem
since sharks are at the top of the food chain. It has already caused a decrease in the
number of other animal species such as the giant squid and cownose ray. Shark finning

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ultimately decreases the biodiversity of an environment, interrupts the food chain and
destroys the natural ecosystem. With all of these reasons not to harm sharks, there are
still people who oppose these laws and consider them to even be racist (Wall 2012).
Many people are perplexed by the idea of shark finning laws could be considered
discriminatory and racist but for many Chinese-American groups, they feel targeted. The
Chinatown Neighborhood Association, a Chinese-American group located in San
Francisco, has filed a lawsuitagainst the state of California’s ban on the possession, sale
and distribution of shark fins; those who are guilty can face $1000 fine and up to six
months in prison. They argue that shark fins are an important part of their culture and by
having these bans in place, local businesses are loosing up $40 million dollars and its
costing 300 people their jobs. (Sankin 2012). Two senators from California goes as far as
saying that the legislation sends a bad message and makes discrimination of Chinese-
Americans okay. Cultural practices shouldn’t have to be defended according to Leland
Yee (one of the two senators) and the shark finning laws single out the Chinese culture
that has been practiced for thousands of years (Wall 2012).
Others do not see it as a racist issue; they just seek to preserve the shark
population. Legislation is in the process of being passed in China to prevent the serving
of shark fin soup at official banquets throughout the country. The World Wildlife
Federation of Hong Kong is taking the lead in making sure this law gets passed. Hong
Kong is the main hub for shark fins and passing this law would send an enormous
message to those who consume the fins in China and possibly help decrease the amount
of fins eaten (Wassener 2012). The law may take up to three years to be put into place,

6. Shark Finning - Abreu 6
but the faster this occurs, the better; Chinese buyers are currently franchising fish vessels
and paying people salaries in order to keep up with demands (Colley 2011).
Teaching people about the side effects of shark finning could help with
awareness. The laws are not established to stop a tradition, or to stop people from eating
shark fin soup; they are there to keep sharks alive. The goal is to alter the attitude of the
Chinese who do consume shark fins and make them realize that if there aren’t any sharks,
their wont be an shark fins for the soup (Bird 2001). Awareness is the key to helping
increase shark populations; by teaching the importance of shark preservation and the
dangers of consuming sharks it could lead to a decrease in finning. Sharks are the very
top of the food chain and they consume many of the poisons of the sea, therefore shark
meat has extremely high levels of mercury. When shark meat is eaten, methyl mercury
accumulates in the body and reaches the brain and could affect the central nervous system
negatively. Sharks are needed in the ocean to eat up those poisons; if they aren’t around
then the marine ecosystem will fall apart (Colley 2011).
Sharks are in the news when they attack humans; but when humans decide to
decapitate shark fins and throw the fish back into the water, it isn’t newsworthy. Shark
finning, although illegal in numerous countries, is decreasing the number of sharks on the
planet as demand for fins increases. Conserving sharks will only benefit the ecosystem in
the long run; they are at the top of the food chain and are needed to maintain a balanced
marine-ecosystem. Sharks are known to be vicious creatures, but they are a top predator
that is needed in the ocean. With laws and bans put into place, and with the help of
awareness, preserving the shark population can be possible as long as shark fin soup
demand returns to being a prestigious meal instead of an every day item. If sharks

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continued to be finned at the rate they currently are, the shark population will become
depleted and ultimately become extinct.

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Literature Cited
Bird, M. (2001, February 26th). Man Bites Shark. Time Magazine. Retrieved July 19th
2012.
Clarke, S.C., McAllister, M.K., Milner-Gulland, E.J., Kirkwood, G.P., Michielsens, C.,
Agnew, D., … Shiviji, M. (2006). Ecology Letters 9, 1115-1126
Colley, C. (2011, October) Cut to the Quick. New Internationalist, 44-45. Retrieved July
19th 2012 from EBScoHost database.
Meliane, I. (2003, June). Shark Finning. IUCN, The World Conservation Union.
Retrieved July 19th 2012.
Sankin A. (2012, July 18th). Shark Fin Ban Challenged As Discriminatory Against Asians
In New Lawsuit. Huffington Post (San Francisco, CA), Retrieved July 19th 2012
Santana-Garcon J., Fordham S. and Fowler S. Blue Shark Prionave glauca fin-to-carcass
mass ratios. (2012). Journal of Fish Biology 80, 1895-1903
Wall, C. (2012). Going Extinct For A Bowl of Soup: An Examination of the Depiction
of Shark Finning inAmerican and Chinese Newspapers. Visions Magazine, 6,
3-7. Retrieved July 19th 2012 from EBScoHost database.
Wassener, B. (2012, July 3rd). China Says No More Shark Fin Soup at State Banquets.
The New York Times (New York, NY), Retrieved July 19th 2012