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Asian countries have often been the subject of conservation issues - ranging from illegal wildlife trade to overfishing to market demand for products from threatened or endangered species. And in many Asian nations, the rights of free speech and dissent are sometimes carefully monitored and controlled - and abused in the eyes of some.
Which is why I found this news item in the Australian online paper, Perth Now, interesting. (Read article.) The news was that a Singapore-based conservation organization, Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (ACRES), had recently held an anti-shark finning rally at Speaker's Corner, Singapore's only allowed venue for outdoor assemblies and demonstrations.
It was particularly important because of ACRES's attempt to bring the issue directly to the people where the demand for shark fin products emanates. And it's a challenge because of the strong cultural history behind the use of these products.
"One of ACRES's supporters at the rally, physiotherapist Chng Chye Tuan, said he and his wife-to-be had decided against offering shark fin soup to guests at their wedding next month, despite opposition from both sets of parents."
In reviewing the ACRES web site, I was impressed by the many animal issues the organization was taking on - not on an international level, but focused within Singapore. From animal treatment in zoos to protecting exotic or endangered animals like chimps, sharks, and tigers to even the humane treatment of pets, ACRES is trying to impress animal conservation and protection issues directly upon the Singapore people to change behavior and alter demand.
Bravo and best wishes for lasting success.
On the shark fin soup front, U.S.-based WildAid has been making some progress, working with several Asian environmental NGOs and government agencies. It's a multi-faceted strategy that includes the arguments against the cruelty of shark finning, the shark's inability to counter the drop in its population due to its slow reproductive rate, and the importance of sharks in maintaining an overall healthy marine ecosystem.
These are arguments we have all heard before - or even used ourselves to enlighten others - and it seems to be bearing some fruit, as it continues to get plenty of attention with the Asian press, and several organizations - including a major new resort on Singapore's Sentosa Island - have stricken shark fin soup from the menu.
For those who are unimpressed or oblivious to the cruelty of shark finning and the impact of declining shark populations on marine ecosystems, there is another strategic tact available: alerting them to the impact on their own health.
As is the case with several other pelagic predators, the mercury level in sharks is very high - particularly in the fins as the cellular makeup of the tissue is one that bonds strongly with mercury. A recent test of 10 fin samples taken in Hong Kong showed that 8 samples contained unsafe levels of mercury. Other tests throughout Asia have shown similar results. Using the Mercury Calculator offered by GotMercury.org, even the meat of the shark is exceedingly high in mercury (8 oz. delivers over 4x the amount considered safe by the EPA for a 165 lb. person).
In the body, mercury does not break down, so it accumulates in sharks who feed on contaminated fish over their 20 to 30+ year lifespan. The impact of mercury on children, the unborn, and adults - ranging from mental impairment, deformities, and worse - has been well documented.
Ironic that one of the factors that might protect sharks from our destructive fishing practices is a form of contamination that we ourselves imposed on the sharks. Looks like sharks have the means to bite us back without ever opening their jaws!
To learn more about WildAid's efforts to move public opinion regarding shark products, go to their web site or download their press kit.
Asian countries have often been the subject of conservation issues - ranging from illegal wildlife trade to overfishing to market demand for products from threatened or endangered species. And in many Asian nations, the rights of free speech and dissent are sometimes carefully monitored and controlled - and abused in the eyes of some.
It was particularly important because of ACRES's attempt to bring the issue directly to the people where the demand for shark fin products emanates. And it's a challenge because of the strong cultural history behind the use of these products.
In reviewing the ACRES web site, I was impressed by the many animal issues the organization was taking on - not on an international level, but focused within Singapore. From animal treatment in zoos to protecting exotic or endangered animals like chimps, sharks, and tigers to even the humane treatment of pets, ACRES is trying to impress animal conservation and protection issues directly upon the Singapore people to change behavior and alter demand.
