Don’t eat sharks just for the fin of it

The writer of the letter “Westerners eat sharks too, so why are only Asians targeted?” (Nov 19) seems to have missed the point when he questioned why Asians are being targeted for eating shark’s fins when some Westerners consume shark meat too.

It is common knowledge that shark meat is consumed in some Western and Asian countries.

However, these consumers and the fishermen who supply this market are not contributing to the cruel practice of finning the shark and dumping the rest of the body into the sea.

The cruel practice is limited to shark’s fin hunters who rely on this method so that they can maximise their fishing load with shark’s fins and nothing else.

The dollar value and status that some Asians attach to the consumption of shark’s fin makes it very attractive to the fishermen who would rather fin the shark than attempt to sell the meat, which is not popular among their countrymen.

Rather than complain about being targeted, we should question the Asian practice of eating only the fin. If we eat the whole shark and avoid endangered species of sharks, I don’t think we would be targeted.

While we are on the subject of endangered species, we should also reflect on the Asian belief that special properties or health benefits lie in certain parts of the various animals.

This belief and consequent demand for animal parts have contributed to the illegal poaching of rhinoceroses, tigers, bears and many other species pushed to near extinction in some parts of the world.

It is time for us to stop complaining and begin to reflect on our attitude and behaviour towards these animals — especially the cruel way in which they are hunted, the ignorance in associating shark’s fin soup with status and wealth, as well as the belief in the supposed health benefits from consuming endangered-animal parts.