Indonesia shark skinners

[DownUnderwater Dan]

It says "Australia's coastal waters are a leading source of the global shark fin trade..." - not that Australians/Australian fisherman are doing the catching. A Chinese trawler in international waters off the Australian coast hauling in sharks would be compatible with that.

So, are you really actually trying to convince me or anyone, that the fish and chips and shark meat available everywhere in Australia, at least for the 4 decades of my life that I've known, was fished illegally by Chinese fishermen?

 

[Jake 10]

The announcement of a $204 million fish processing plant in Papua New Guinea (PNG) located close to Australia’s mainland raises concerns over both resource depletion and security risks. The project has come to light following the signing of a detail-thin memorandum of understanding (MoU) between China’s Fujian Zhonghong Fishery Company and the PNG government.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said that the government has raised its concerns with PNG. Australian Border Force vessels would be closely monitoring the region and enforcing the agreed fishing standards. A part of the Belt and Road Initiative, the project would bring major benefits to an infrastructure poor and geographically challenged region, but that masks the strategic underpinnings behind its inception.

 

[Pearlman]

Demand from certain dispicable country across our border.
I still do not understand why there is such a demand for shark fin soup. It is illegal to export/import endangered species in HK.

I really want to agree. Especially about the mammoth Chinese fishing fleets plundering oceans across the world I feel a deep sense of dread. However the data shows that other countries are equally culpable. The ultimate sink of most exports may still be a few countries consuming all of it with a voracious appetite …

 

[Eric802]

So, are you really actually trying to convince me or anyone, that the fish and chips and shark meat available everywhere in Australia, at least for the 4 decades of my life that I've known, was fished illegally by Chinese fishermen?

Of course not. I'm saying that the headline quoted, identifying "Australian waters" as a major source of shark fin trade, does not mean that it's Australians fueling the "global shark fin trade". The "global shark fin trade", which could be considered to consist of finning, indiscriminate long-line fishing, netting that decimates non-target species, etc. is generally not something I'd associate with Australians...

 

[RyanT]

I really want to agree. Especially about the mammoth Chinese fishing fleets plundering oceans across the world I feel a deep sense of dread. However the data shows that other countries are equally culpable. The ultimate sink of most exports may still be a few countries consuming all of it with a voracious appetite …

I just attended a lecture by a shark conservation biologist. He confirmed this. Yes, Chinese fishing fleets are still finning and doing horrific things to sharks. However, he pointed out that in terms of overall fisheries, finning is declining. Many other nations are over-fishing sharks, for meat. Countries like Spain and Portugal are especially bad. So in terms of shark declines due to fishing, we can't simply place all the blame on Chinese finning practices.

 

[DownUnderwater Dan]

Of course not. I'm saying that the headline quoted, identifying "Australian waters" as a major source of shark fin trade, does not mean that it's Australians fueling the "global shark fin trade". The "global shark fin trade", which could be considered to consist of finning, indiscriminate long-line fishing, netting that decimates non-target species, etc. is generally not something I'd associate with Australians...

If you actually look at the latest reported statistics from Shark Guardian, WWF, U.N, etc. , they all state that the EU-European Union is the top exporter of shark fins in the world, being the source of 45% global supply. With Italy being the world's top importer of shark meat also, and Spain top exporter of shark fin & meat.

The narrative that only European countries or countries with a majority population of European descent are "morally sound/conscious", and are above the trade of shark fins and meat, is delusional.

Of course not. I'm saying that the headline quoted, identifying "Australian waters" as a major source of shark fin trade, does not mean that it's Australians fueling the "global shark fin trade". The "global shark fin trade", which could be considered to consist of finning, indiscriminate long-line fishing, netting that decimates non-target species, etc. is generally not something I'd associate with Australians...

 

[RyanT]

Wow, I made my post before looking at the data @Pearlman. Finning is horrible. Unfortunately, that's all we hear about. Finning, however, is no longer the primary contributor to shark declines. General overfishing of sharks, by many nations, including those in Europe, are contributing to declining shark populations.

 

[runsongas]

EU plays a ‘key role’ in Asian shark fin trade, study reveals

Global shark populations are declining rapidly with overfishing driving them towards extinction.

www.euronews.com

Greed has no national boundaries if there is money to be made

@Centrals China is no longer the main threat as the consumption is declining rapidly, demand is shifting to HK/TW and also other places in SEA that are becoming wealthier.

Threats to Sharks Shift Away From Mainland China - WildAid

Consumption of shark fin soup in mainland China is no longer the single greatest threat to sharks, according to a report released today by global conservation organization WildAid. “Sharks in Crisis: Evidence of Positive Behavioral Change in China as New Threats Emerge” exposes worrying trends...

wildaid.org

 

[MB NZ]

Easy Google. This is just official landing data, actual tonnage of sharks killed is probably much higher. You even get some recipe ideas from the Australian government. I believe gummy shark is eaten quite a lot in Australia, although it is sold under a different name and most consumers probably don't know exactly what they are eating (not that they would care anyway). Not knocking Aussie, I'm guessing NZ is worse.

Deepwater sharks | Australian Fisheries Management Authority

www.afma.gov.au

Elephant fish | Australian Fisheries Management Authority

www.afma.gov.au

Gummy shark | Australian Fisheries Management Authority

www.afma.gov.au

Sawsharks | Australian Fisheries Management Authority

www.afma.gov.au

School shark | Australian Fisheries Management Authority

www.afma.gov.au

 

[tarponchik]

Beijing’s monster fishing fleet has long since stripped its own waters bare. Now it is aggressively prowling the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans for a catch. And it is coming to Australia.
It grabs as much as it can. As fast as it can. Wherever it can. Not that there is anything entirely unusual about this.

What makes China’s fishing fleet different, however, is that the Communist Party officially sanctions its behaviour. It is organised and overseen by the Communist Party. And it’s used to assert the territorial ambitions of the Communist Party.

It’s also huge.

“Helmsman” Xi Jinping – who recently adopted the honorific reserved for founder Mao Zedong – has urged his nation to “build bigger ships and venture even farther into the oceans and catch bigger fish.”
View attachment 863080

Though China is indeed the world's top fish catcher with 13.2M tons seafood annually, the US is number 8 with 4.3M annual tons. Considering that China's population is 4.15 larger than the US, China is catching 1.33 times less fish per capita than the USA.

Where the difference is striking, it is in the fish farming. China farms enormous 75.4M tons of fish while the USA only 0.48M.

(I rounded up all numbers)