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| The famous shark fin soup is a delicacy that can cost $80-100 per bowl |
Culinary historians state that shark fin soup first became a Chinese
delicacy when it was served on the Emperor's table in the Ming Dynasty around the year 1400.
In China and a handful of other Asian countries, shark
fin has long been regarded as a
cure-all tonic, aphrodisiac, and weapon in the battle against
aging. Once a delicacy for only the wealthy elite, China's emerging middle class has lead to an increased popularity and demand for the dish. Demand has also increased in countries where large numbers of Chinese have immigrated.
The consumption of high-value food such as shark fin, bird's nest, bear claw, and sea cucumbers have functioned in the Chinese culture as a demonstration of one's social status. Due to extreme economic growth in Hong Kong (1970s-1980s) and in China (1990s-2000s) the demand for shark fin increased simultaneously as people wanted to mirror their financial success. It is traditionally served at weddings and around Chinese New Year. Since marriage is perceived to be a momentous, once-in-a-lifetime occasion, the serving of shark fin soup is expected whether the wedding is lavish or not. Not only does it represent wealth, the dish serves to uphold the traditional norms of Chinese society. The guests will also feel cheated if shark fin is not present because they have already given a wedding present (usually money). Therefore, the banquet is "a token of reciprocal respect between the couple and the guests."
Current shark fin processors predict that as environmental pressure increases, industry profit decreases. Environmental groups and NGOs are educating the Hong Kong youth about the consequences of the shark fin industry and dissuade its consumption. The next generation will be forced to decide between prioritizing either biodiversity values or cultural values.
Are the new shark fin bans discriminatory against Asian communities?
"The collective activities of shark-fin consumption, business relations and networks are embedded along the historically, socially and culturally constructed Chinese identity."
Backlash from the Asian American community in California and other states have arisen due to the new bans on shark fin. Many say the Chinese community is being unfairly singled out. Prominent members of the Chinese community argue that a whole shark can be harvested for commercial goods but the fin cannot be taken and must be wasted anyway. If they ban shark fining, shark harvesting should be outright illegal so as not to discriminate against any singular group of people. This issue sparks the debate about whether cultural appreciation or biodiversity and conservation should be prioritized.
In China and a handful of other Asian countries, shark
fin has long been regarded as a
cure-all tonic, aphrodisiac, and weapon in the battle against
aging. Once a delicacy for only the wealthy elite, China's emerging middle class has lead to an increased popularity and demand for the dish. Demand has also increased in countries where large numbers of Chinese have immigrated.The consumption of high-value food such as shark fin, bird's nest, bear claw, and sea cucumbers have functioned in the Chinese culture as a demonstration of one's social status. Due to extreme economic growth in Hong Kong (1970s-1980s) and in China (1990s-2000s) the demand for shark fin increased simultaneously as people wanted to mirror their financial success. It is traditionally served at weddings and around Chinese New Year. Since marriage is perceived to be a momentous, once-in-a-lifetime occasion, the serving of shark fin soup is expected whether the wedding is lavish or not. Not only does it represent wealth, the dish serves to uphold the traditional norms of Chinese society. The guests will also feel cheated if shark fin is not present because they have already given a wedding present (usually money). Therefore, the banquet is "a token of reciprocal respect between the couple and the guests."
Current shark fin processors predict that as environmental pressure increases, industry profit decreases. Environmental groups and NGOs are educating the Hong Kong youth about the consequences of the shark fin industry and dissuade its consumption. The next generation will be forced to decide between prioritizing either biodiversity values or cultural values.
Are the new shark fin bans discriminatory against Asian communities?
"The collective activities of shark-fin consumption, business relations and networks are embedded along the historically, socially and culturally constructed Chinese identity."
Backlash from the Asian American community in California and other states have arisen due to the new bans on shark fin. Many say the Chinese community is being unfairly singled out. Prominent members of the Chinese community argue that a whole shark can be harvested for commercial goods but the fin cannot be taken and must be wasted anyway. If they ban shark fining, shark harvesting should be outright illegal so as not to discriminate against any singular group of people. This issue sparks the debate about whether cultural appreciation or biodiversity and conservation should be prioritized.
Sources: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/06/shark-fin-soup---a-cultural-war-environmental-nightmare-and-multi-million-dollar-business/
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/California-Bans-Shark-Fins-131386568.html
Cheung, Gordon and Chang, Chak Yan. "Cultural identities of Chinese business: networks of the shark-fin business in Hong Kong." Asia Pacific Business Review, Jul2011, Vol. 17 Issue 3, p343-359.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/California-Bans-Shark-Fins-131386568.html
Cheung, Gordon and Chang, Chak Yan. "Cultural identities of Chinese business: networks of the shark-fin business in Hong Kong." Asia Pacific Business Review, Jul2011, Vol. 17 Issue 3, p343-359.
Interesting point. I find it odd that finning is illegal but shark harvest is not. Is there a rebuttal against this argument by the conservationists/government? Maybe you could write about that on this page also.
ReplyDelete-Simranjot Singh
I also find it particularly interesting that shark finning itself is illegal. If the whole shark is going to be harvested it makes no real sense to simply discard the fin. There may be a racial overtone to this issue, but that is perhaps another topic.
ReplyDeleteThis is a nice page detailing a very interesting premise on what drives a large part of the shark finning industry. Adding some figures on how much the industry is worth from year to year or perhaps how many sharks are killed annually to provide for this soup in a chart or table might be a nice addition as well.
William Cooper
I think this page is really important to understanding the motives behind this conservation issue. Just as an idea for the flow of your website, maybe it should go right after the intro tab, before you dive in to the bulk of your topic.
ReplyDeleteI agree this should be your second tab. It seems like the most important information for explaining the damage of finning. Also, is there any counter-argument towards the "prejudice against asian culture" argument? Maybe this could be mentioned here. (if it exists)
ReplyDelete-Elise Utterback
I'm a extremely biased in this topic - and therefore agree with Elise that a counterargument should be put forward for the cultural prejudice statement
ReplyDeleteA couple years ago I was told by an international student from a middle to upper class family in China that the soup was called (best translation to english) fish-wing soup. She said growing up she did not know that it was made from shark fins, or how those fins were obtained - just that the soup would help her stay health and her bones stay strong.
Another things I would mention:
shark fin soup - is that shark fins have very little flavor and the taste of the soup is highly dependent on the base used
shark meat - very few species (inc Threshers) have meat that is considered edible.
As a federal law shark fins are not banned - the law states that the shark must be landed whole (fins cannot be removed prior to landing) or with proportional weight of sharks on board, individual states (1st enacted by HI, follwed by WA, CA, Guam, and I believe Maryland has a bill proposed) have bans on sale/use of shark fins.