Article in todays press

[Pacific State 808]

This is shocking.......

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3056426/Raiders-of-the-lost-sharks.html

[flopnfly]

I've been following this for awhile now, and I'm disgusted that it keeps going on.

What can we do to stop it?

[Pacific State 808]

99% of these fins are for the Japanese market and their requirements for shark fin soup......how ridiculous is that ! In reality, there is probably very little we can do as the powers around the world have 'bigger fish to fry', when it comes to problems they are currently facing (no punn intended). Shark fishing does not appear high on the agenda, or any over fishing for that matter.

How often do you see a shark when diving these days ? Cozumel, you might be lucky to see a sleeping nurse shark or something, but other than that, it's very scarce. I can only remember just one time, out of approx 200 or so dives in the Carribbean region, when I have seen a shark whilst diving, when a hammerhead appeared for about 5 seconds.  I have done an organised shark dive in Roatan but I can't include that as it's organised, and not including nurse sharks in Cozumel. One time in 200 !

The Maldives government are in a class of their own and have done something about it, they have banned shark fishing in their waters. How often do you see Sharks when diving in the Maldives, out of 80 or so dives I have done in the Maldives, I have seen sharks on 60 of those dives in numbers of 20 plus.....that's the difference.

We need greater protection, and to educate the Japs that eating shark fin soup or having powdered tigers penis in your morning tea does not make you an Italian stallion between the sheets and make you live longer !

[mojitomiss_cuba]

it's totally disgusting 
of course it's a total "status" thing. Shark-fin soup is very expensive - not for the "everyday masses"


I know it's a cultural thing and centuries old "beliefs and traditions" but you would think that in this day and age, there would be more awareness amongst the Asian people. You don't even really hear of outrage and such barbaric practices from the younger generation. And if awareness/outrage starts anywhere, we pretty much know it comes from the youth who like nothing more than to decry traditions of the "old folk" aka their parents/grandparents

Have to admit ps808, I would really like to see a Hammerhead! And yes I do mean, the entire shark swimming in it's natural environment, not a bloody corpse brutalized for a fin!