Killing sharks for shark fin soup is a barbaric and pernicious practice. With 20 species of sharks and rays in Gulf waters rated as threatened, the UAE has supported international efforts to stem the trade, which explains the concern generated by the news that six tonnes of dried shark fins were shipped to Hong Kong via Dubai this month.
In September, strict regulation of global trade in five species of endangered sharks – three of which are found locally – will come into effect as part of an initiative by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites). In the meantime, an investigation by the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water revealed the shipment did not breach any international regulations.
Instead, conservationists trying to stop the trade have focused on lobbying transport companies. Emirates Airline and Hong Kong’s main carrier, Cathay Pacific, both refuse to transport shark fins. Philippines Airlines, which carried the six-tonne shipment, has followed suit.
But all of this begs the question: why is shark fin soup so sought after when it tastes of nothing and has little nutritional value? Would anyone miss this wanton waste of the sea’s diminishing resources if this tasteless dish were to be completely banned.
