In the past three weeks, 3,000 pledged to say “no” to shark’s fin on the WWF-Singapore website (World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore). Yet, as many still view shark’s fin as a part of their culture and tradition, the dish continues to be an emotional and divisive issue in Singapore.
Shark’s fin is also an issue with global implications. Sharks are an important source of livelihood for many coastal communities. Demand for shark’s fin is draining the oceans of these key predators, which impacts the marine environment.
In May, WWF released a report that found Singapore to be the world’s second-largest trader of shark’s fin in terms of value. According to Mr Yio Jin Xian from the Marine and Land Products Association (MPA), which represents shark’s fin traders supplying 70 per cent of the market in Singapore, most shark products in Singapore are “sustainable”.
However, this claim turned out to be based on myths.
TRACEABILITY FROM SOURCE TO SELLER
Myth 1: “Majority of the shark’s fin imported by Singapore is from developed countries such as the US, EU nations and Australia.”
Singapore’s shark’s fin traders at the MPA claim that most of our fins are from developed countries like the US, EU nations and Australia. Current import data contradicts these claims completely.
According to Singapore’s trade statistics, Spain, Namibia, Uruguay, Hong Kong and Indonesia are listed as the top markets from which Singapore imports shark’s fin, these are all source countries with no known sustainable shark fisheries.
More importantly, there is no traceability system in place today that can adequately track individual shark’s fins from source to seller. This means that businesses that claim to know the source countries of their shark’s fin do not have the means to verify their claims.
LEGALITY DOES NOT EQUATE SUSTAINABILITY
Myth 2: “Fins from sharks caught in federally regulated waters from developed countries are ‘sustainable’.”
While certain countries like the US and Australia have been more progressive with regulating shark fishing, regulating the types of species caught and preventing overfishing remains a challenge for governments.
Independent third-party certification of a fishery, such as from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), is the only way that we, as consumers, can be sure that fisheries do not engage in unsustainable practices.
However, only one shark fishery in the world has been certified sustainable by MSC – for spiny dogfish in the US, which catch sharks mainly for its meat and not its fins.
SUSTAINABILITY GOES BEYOND ‘ZERO WASTAGE’
Myth 3: “It is more sustainable when the whole shark carcass is utilised, not just the fins.”
Although more countries now discourage shark finning by having regulations that require the whole shark to be brought to land, it would be a mistake to assume that this alone makes a fishery “sustainable“.
Shark populations are on the decline because of overexploitation. This impacts coastal communities too. Shark fishermen talk of how they used to be able to catch sharks close to home, but now have to travel farther afield to catch enough sharks.
Unsustainable shark fisheries may also use non-selective fishing gear, often with terrible consequences for non-target species.
This endangers populations of protected sharks, dolphins and turtles. As sharks play a major role in maintaining ocean ecosystems, removing them from the oceans will have a knock-on effect on the health of our oceans and marine life, a major food source for us all.
A SOLUTION LIES WITHIN OUR SHORES
On an international level, we need traceability systems that can track the movement of shark’s fin and its products across the world, especially in Hong Kong and Singapore, the world’s top shark’s fin trader.
In these ports, customs procedures need to be in place that can allow better tracking of species and actual trade volumes of shark’s fin. Hong Kong is already in the process of integrating such procedures, while Singapore still has some way to go.
With better monitoring of the global shark trade through these measures, businesses – including Singapore’s shark’s fin traders – can have more confidence about the source of their products, including basic information on species and legality.
The solution also lies in making a drastic reduction in the rate we are consuming shark’s fin and shark products. With each and every consumer making the individual choice of saying “no” to shark’s fin, we can hopefully work together to turn the tide for sharks and, in doing so, ensure healthier oceans.
Read more here.
Source: The Straits Times, 16 June 2017