An international environment conservation organization has called for China to raise public awareness on the need to protect the ocean's shark population, as its latest survey shows Chinese know little of the negative environmental impact of consuming shark fin soup.

 

WildAid, the organization based in San Francisco, is worried that public ignorance will cause the demand for shark fin to continue to surge in China.

 

More than 100 million sharks are killed every year, most have only their fins cut off. The global shark stock has declined 80 percent over the past 50 years due to over-fishing.

 

Shark fin soup has been considered a delicacy in China for centuries. Although the fin is essentially tasteless, the dish is associated with privilege and social rank and is usually served at banquets to impress guests.

 

Research shows that the fins contains heavy metals such as mercury, which can cause damage to the nervous system and male infertile.

 

However, the survey, carried out by the Social Survey Institute of China (SSIC) from November 2005 to February 2006 in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou among shark fin consumers, providers and journalists, showed the public knows little of how shark fins are harvested, their low nutritional value, or the wastage and cruelty associated with the trade.

 

They have even less understanding of the negative environmental impact associated with loss of sharks or the potential damaging effects of eating shark, said Liu Zhong, an SSIC survey consultant.

 

"As China is the world's major shark fin consumer, public ignorance is very dangerous to protect the shark species whose population have kept dwindling due to over-fishing," said Steve Trend, WildAid's chairman.

 

The soaring demand of shark fin on the international market has surged beyond sustainable levels, said Trend.

 

Shark fin is among the most expensive seafood products in the world, with prices reaching up to 500 euros per kilogram. The annual world trade is estimated to exceed 10,000 tons and China is the largest importer, accounting for half of the world market, according to a WildAid report.

 

"We know it's hard to change consumer habits in a short time, but the Chinese government should carry out massive public education to make consumers aware of the problems related to shark fin consumption," said Trend.

 

What's more, the government should develop a shark management plan and to improve international cooperation on shark conservation and management, he said.

 

Li Yanliang, deputy general director of the Aquatic Wild Fauna and Flora Administrative Office under the Ministry of Agriculture, told a press conference in January that China's catching, import and export of sharks is conducted strictly in accordance with international laws.

 

Li said the Chinese government encourages a "rational and sustained" development of fish resources and the overall use of sharks and bans the partial use of sharks. In addition, China is considering listing some endangered sharks as protected animals, according to Li.

 

A national lawmaker proposed during the annual parliament session in March that government officials should wipe shark fin off their reception menus before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing to help impress foreign visitors with a favorable national image.

 

"Serving shark fin to foreign guests during the Olympic Games could greatly hurt China's national image, and officials should start to remove the dish from the dining table right now," said Xu Zhihong, president of the prestigious Beijing University.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 25, 2007)