Friday, March 12, 2010

Stop Shark Finning, Dammit

Just this Son's opinion:

I was disappointed to read that Manny Ramirez enjoyed some shark's fin soup while in Taiwan. While shark's fin soup is a traditional Chinese dish and, yes, it is tasty, it's not difficult to give up once you see how it's made. Basically they cut the fins off and throw the rest of the shark back in the ocean. From Stop Shark Finning:

Every year tens of millions of sharks die a slow death because of finning. Finning is the inhumane practice of hacking off the shark's fins and throwing its still living body back into the sea. The sharks either starve to death, are eaten alive by other fish, or drown (if they are not in constant movement their gills cannot extract oxygen from the water). Shark fins are being "harvested" in ever greater numbers to feed the growing demand for shark fin soup, an Asian "delicacy".

Not only is the finning of sharks barbaric, but their indiscriminate slaughter at an unsustainable rate is pushing many species to the brink of extinction. Since the 1970s the populations of several species have been decimated by over 95%.

Even Yao Ming is on board:

If anyone can come up with a sustainable and humane method of harvesting these fins, I'd at least be interested in hearing it. But it's not like you can just farm sharks like tuna or salmon.

And while we're at it, let's stop eating whales too.

11 comments:

Fred's Brim said...

Yao Ming vs Manny in a bare-knuckle boxing match!

jokes aside, i am on-board against shark finning.

And why don't they eat the whole shark? You can find all kinds of crazy crap in a Chinese fish market. Why not shark steaks?

Josh S. said...

Mock Shark Fin Soup!

I had no idea that's how the soup was made. I figured, like FB was saying, they used the fins from sharks harvested for shark steaks.

For the record, I am also against shin farking.

M.Brown said...

Maybe MLB should test for that.

MeanieBreanie said...

Ok Orel, as we say in the south “you’ve got me all riled up”. Those that know me know I have a great love for animals and am extremely passionate about animal causes. All species serve a purpose and help to balance our ecosystem. Sadly there are many animals that are disappearing at alarming rates due to habitat encroachment and man’s endless desire for skins, parts, and “delicacies”. One thing we can do is to stop indulging in harmful practices and try to educate others. My hope is that it is not too late for many species.

Thanks for doing your part and drawing attention to this barbaric practice.

Steve Sax said...

@Josh, what about Finn Sharking? When you dishonestly steal from a Nordic?

Nostradamus said...

Those Finns, they are shifty, though.

If it weren't for Fan Shirking, the Marlins would probably have a new ballpark by now.

Kyle Baker said...

Dylan Hernandez reporting:

"Third base coach Larry Bowa left in the middle of the game to go to the emergency room because of stomach cramps."

Maybe Bowa had some of the cursed soup.

Steve Sax said...

Maybe it's just that time of the month.

Kyle Baker said...

"Sometimes I get the menstrual cramps reeeeeeal haaaard."

[Raising Arizona]

Kyle Baker said...

Update:

"Bowa released from hospital after a CAT scan showed no abnormalities." [D. Hernandez]

Cliff Beefpile said...

here here!

although, quint might disagree.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92yHyxeju1U