“The finning of sharks for shark fin soup is a horrible activity. It is the equivalent of cutting off the hands of a monkey in the jungle and then turning him loose. Of course that could never happen, because such atrocities on land are more visible than those that take place at sea. Much of the ocean is out of sight out of mind, and that is why the efforts of Shawn Heinrichs and others to bring shark finning to the public’s attention is so important.”
– Bill Shedd – AFTCO President
At a fishery in Kesennuma, Japan, hundreds of salmon sharks are lined up, weighed and then their fins are sliced off.
Shawn Heinrichs, one of today’s premiere underwater photographers/cinematographers, was recently featured in one of HDNet‘s Dan Rather Reports segments titled, “All for a Bowl of Soup”. Shawn’s investigative report has produced one of the most disturbing, yet insightful looks yet into the Asian shark fin markets. The evidence captured on film gives viewers a perspective on the death and destruction of shark populations in a way that has likely never been seen before:
* hundreds of bags labeled as “Anchovies from Mexico” overflowing with shark fins
* 6,000-7,000 fins – one day’s haul in just one shop – being sorted, washed and dried
* sharks being finned alive on fishing vessels, then dumped back into the ocean to drown
* a “tuna fishery” that processed less than 100 tuna, yet thousands of sharks – which were caught “accidentally” as by-catch
* a finned nurse shark, still alive, slowly dying on a reef – within a marine sanctuary off Indonesia
If you wish to gain a new perspective on the horrors of shark finning and develop an understanding of the unsustainable destruction that shark populations are experiencing on a global level, then please watch the 7-minute video below (the full 30-minute segment can be downloaded from iTunes, search “Dan Rather: For a Bowl of soup”.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
Related posts:
- Two Uncommon Species – The Blacktip Shark and Oceanic Whitetip Shark
- Neurotoxins in shark fins: A human health concern
- Hammerhead Shark Fins — Too Delicious for the Shark’s Own Good
- CSI in Real-World, Shark Conservation and Management — Better than TV!
- Guy Harvey Applauds Decision to Ban Commercial Shark Fishing in Bahamas
I would like to welcome you to the Guy Harvey Sportswear web site. Here we will feature my blog where I will report on expeditions, adventures, and various marine conservation efforts. We will also include various guest bloggers, videos and photos that I believe you will find interesting, whether you are a serious fishing or diving enthusiast, or simply someone who cares about the marine resource, loves living the coastal lifestyle, or just wants to learn more about Guy Harvey sportswear.
Sean, what percent of those fins were part of the legal 200 tons of shark fin that NZ exports each and every year?
Nice work, but deeply flawed, you have an agenda. Start by stopping the legal trade which is right on your doorstep. If you cannot even do that, then why bother at all?
How is this ‘undercover’ when shark fin sales and processing is completely legal in Asia and anyone can just walk into a shark fin business and take pictures? I understand that groups want to stop shark finning, I do too, but why are we couching a global open business model as some shady, dark, secretive business?