Increasing Controversies behind Shark Fin Soup

Introduction

In 968 A.D. an emperor from the Sung Dynasty introduced a unique culinary dish termed

shark fin soup. This soup consisted of a flavored broth combined with an assortment of

vegetables. After the base of the soup had been made shark fins were added to enhance texture of

the soup; the fins interestingly enough did not have any taste themselves. This unique dishs

original purpose was to indicate high social class and symbolize respect and honor. Today, this

soup is normally served on special occasions such as weddings or banquets ranging from sixty-

five dollars a bowl toward two hundred dollars a bowl. From a cultural standpoint the presence

of the soup indicates an elevated status in class and social standing. In recent years however, the

main intent behind shark fin soup has arguably lost cultural backing, and introduced a new wave

of ethical issues. Recent studies regarding the conventional affairs behind consuming shark fin

soup states that it not only can cause physical harm, but also completely destroy numerous

ecosystems. Sharks have over the past few decades been bio accumulating toxins that are

prominent in land run off. This bioaccumulation invades all parts of the sharks body and impacts

its human consumers. Shark fin soup has also been linked to oceanic ecosystem devastation that

leads to complete wreckage of trophic food chains. With ecosystem destruction and potential

health hazards, consumption of shark fin soup appears to pose an interesting topic of debate upon

deciding if cultural traditions outweigh environmental degradation.

Dangers of Consuming Shark Fin Soup

One of the main issues behind consuming shark fin soup that opponents tend to bring up

are the physiological problems it can inflict. Research has discovered a toxin found in shark fins
called Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin -N-Methylamino-L-alanine. Said toxin has been linked to

prominent neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers and ALS. What this toxin does when

it enters the blood stream is quite simple; it invades brain tissue and begins to break down the

nervous system. Neurons in the body begin to die and control of motor functions become

progressively worse. Further research has even suggested that this particular toxin has recently

become more prominent in the past few years due to increasing environmental destruction. The

way these sharks even contract this toxin is all through bioaccumulation ( Hammerschlag &

Mash 2012). Bioaccumulation occurs when a substance, and in the sharks case a deathly toxin, is

absorbed or consumed by the particular organism at a rate much faster than it can be broken

down by the body. The dangers of this bioaccumulation then destroys other organisms that

consume the original diseased animal. The saddest part about this bioaccumulation is that it is all

human caused. Due to the runoff from agricultural and other manufacturing plants, pollutants

gets into all water systems and infects aquatic life. Even if a particular area doesnt have this

cyanobacterial bloom, it can (and most likely will) be transmitted to other water systems.

Generally this occurs through natural food chain hierarchy, but it can be transmitted other ways.

Considering the fact that sharks are migratory animals, they could potentially transmit this toxin

to any area or body of water it may visit (Hammerschlag Ted Talks 2012). The more shark fin

soup grows to be a global issue, there is an increase in worry for the toxins that leach into its

consumers. Considering this information leads to the question of why people would continue to

eat something that could potentially kill them. The answer to that question all lies within culture.

Cultural Aspects behind this Delicacy

 This delectable delicacy prominent in Southeast Asia occupies intense cultural heritage.

With the numerous ways of preparation for the soup, its culinary value has become somewhat of

an art. Once the fins are added to the soup, mixed vegetables are then used as additives to

maximize flavor (Hacker 2013). What sparked many peoples taste buds about such an unusual

soup pairing dates back centuries to the Sung Dynasty Even back then the texture was the main

focus for the appeal of the soup. For many, this texture added an increased quality of taste. Most

restaurants have even been known to add rough types of food to create the illusion that the fins

are more textured than they actually are. When popularity struck, this soup became a key

component of every dish at any traditional occasion. In some instances, people would be looked

down upon if they did not serve this soup in a social setting. Absence of soup was associated

with poverty and lower class ideals. This is where much debate is brought about. People are torn

between accepting the practice as a cultural tradition, and rejecting it as an ecological destroyer.

Recently coastal areas such as Hawaii and Southeast Asia have enacted laws to

completely obliterate the soup. Celebrities and other famous spokesmen were on multiple

campaigns and sat in on numerous legislative hearings (Gillespie 2010). Such a mass amount of

attention has led to a huge divide, especially in Southeastern Asia. On many accounts most of

these Asian cultures reportedly stated that they do not consume the soup period. Not only were

financials a huge reason considering the soup is upwards a hundred dollars a bowl, but also many

had stated it was a cultural tradition that has died out (Gillespie 2010). Upon these legislations

some places have chosen to blatantly ignore these laws. For example, when an area in South East

Asia denied any restaurant of serving the soup, most restaurants refused to listen and served it

unbeknownst to the law. Places even kept it on the menu and served upon request (Chow 2012).

Rebellion like this leads to even more time being spent on enacting strict legislature where
loopholes cannot be found. China, which had recently placed a state-wide ban, reported it would

take a minimum of three years to enact (Wassener 2008). All of this can hardly be attributed to

tradition due to the fact that it is an age old practice that most people do not genuinely practice.

Furthermore, this tradition is one that has been linked to complete destruction of oceanic life

systems.

Ecological Hazards

Another apprehension this soup places on the world is the fact that it poses an endless

amount of ecological hazards to aquatic ecosystems as well as all other forms of life. When a

fishermen originally catches the shark they slam the shark on the boat, hack off their fins, and

throw the shark back into the ocean for them to suffocate in their own blood. Once these sharks

are slaughtered for their fins at a habitual rate, they cannot repopulate at an equivalent rate

(Brierly 2007). The best way to understand this is to compare these sharks to humans in regards

to reproductive rates. They mature at an older age, and only produce two or three offspring upon

mating. In combination with the huge loss in population it leads to a complete disruption in the

food chain. Since Shark Fin Soup has been in high demand sharks have been dying faster than

they can reproduce. Thus, its preys population has skyrocketed; subsequently leading to a large

decline in clam populations. The prey that the sharks feed on now are beginning to be found in

excess. One main organism that sharks prey on are the cownnose rey. Recently the cownose rey

population has increased to over 40 million (Brierly 2007). With this population in excess, its

own preys population cannot reproduce fast enough. One main animal that the cownose rey

feeds on are clams (Brierly 2007). A reduced number of clams then ultimately lead to complete

destruction. Without clams, oceans would become dirty, and full of debris. Subsequently this

then leads to other ecological hazards such as ocean acidification.

 Organizations like Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES),

have begun to enact laws that at least limit the number of sharks mortality. The International

Program on the State of the Ocean at Oxford declared the planet to be at an insanely high risk for

marine species extinction. (Price 2014). The estimated time table for marine species extinction is

only approximately twenty years away. For example in March 2013, a law was enacted to limit

the number of five main endangered sharks killed a year (Rosa 2013). However, CITES has only

been given regulation to protect a smaller number of only three shark species (Tatum 2012).This

legislation at least attempts to realistically limit the number of sharks slaughtered for shark fin

soup.

Although multiple Asian cultures support the consumption of shark fin soup through

using cultural traditions as an excuse, I am not persuaded. Numerous Asian cultures who eat

Shark fin soup say that its consumption is only due to keeping alive an age-old tradition. A

tradition in which studies has shown has not been practiced for its original intentions for a few

hundred years However, I as numerous others believe it is ethically wrong and morally

grotesque. Those who oppose the soup may say shark consumption creates health issues,

destroys other aquatic food chains while those who support it feel that it keeps alive rich histories

that have seemingly been forgotten.

Because shark fin soup statistically has been proven to carry high levels of the

Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin -N-Methylamino-L-alanine (Hammeschlag&Mash) all ecosystems

are directly affected. Humans ingesting the toxin will accumulate mass disease, and the risk of

contagion between sharks and other fish with this toxin grows exponentially. The more sharks

begin to accumulate toxins, the probability of them passing it to other organisms in the ocean is

extremely likely. With a neurodegenerative toxin, and complete population crashes, aquatic
ecosystems will not be the only ones to suffer. Without any of our oceanic ecosystems, the world

as we know it would suffer at such an intensity that most coastal regions will lead to not only a

population destruction, but an economic one.

With these factors considered, there is one simple argument that causes shark destruction

to seem valid; culture. The very root of the dish stems from traditional values upon which the

support of family and community appear to override any type of argument. Hacker, a man who

grew up in Southeast Asia once believed this tradition made complete sense. However, once he

was older he noted that the reason his family ate the soup was not due to tradition, but due to

personal desire for eating a tasty soup. Hacker as well as others in South East Asia have

reported that these cultures do not even consume the soup for tradition anymore. This is partly

due to financials of the soup with it being upwards of a hundred dollars. Many also state that it is

a cultural folklore that has died out (Gillespie 2010). My point here is that there is absolutely

nothing wrong with cultural tendencies. There are however issues behind people using culture as

an excuse to eat soup that disrupts and destroys entire ecosystems.

Conclusion

It is clear change needs to be made. Not only have clam populations been threatened, but

the very livelihood of the ocean, and countless other ecosystems, depend upon sharks. Without

these beings all ecosystems, land or water, would be threatened. Food chains would implode,

neurotoxins would wreak havoc, and hundreds of other impacts would occur due to a chain

reaction. In addition to total destruction, consuming this soup could potentially obliterate neural

functions. The only true proposing factor for keeping shark fin soup around are its old fashioned
roots. These traditional roots are the excuse to keep these fins in the market. However, recently

people even from these cultures have come out saying that shark fin soup is an outdated dish that

no longer has cultural values practiced behind it. Despite this, to even attempt to ban shark fin

soup would be an extremely long and drawn out process. For most places it would take five years

minimum to outlaw the soup. Within these five years restaurants would have to be in full

compliance, and fishermen would be required to stop fishing for sharks. Thought it is a possible

feat, it is a very difficult one to tackle. With such a delayed amount of time, it raises even more

issues on legally how to make the ban effective in a timely matter. It is one thing to create

legislation, but it a whole other issue to enforce it. No matter how long it takes to ban this

demonstrative dish, regardless of any cultural backing it may maintain, it needs to be done

immediately and effectively.

 References
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menu. Current Biology, 17(14), R555R557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2007.05.007

Chow, J. (2012, January 20). World News: Ban on Shark Fin Soup Advances through Asia. Wall street

journal, eastern edition; New York, N.Y., p. A.6. New York, N.Y., United States.

Darrell Dela Rosa. (n.d.). Animal rights. Retrieved February 28, 2017, from

http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqr_ht_animal_rights_2013

Gillespie, A. (2010). No more shark fin soup for Hawaii: frontiers in ecology and the environment,

8(7), 342342.

Hacker, R. (2013). Shark Fin Soup. Retrieved from https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/14241

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Cyanobacterial neurotoxin -N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) in shark fins. Marine Drugs,

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v=MHssup4PBC0

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