Who still eats Shark Fin ?

[Bob3]

(sans skin and bones)

The only bones in a shark are his teeth, everything else is cartilage.

That being said, I have no problem with shark being eaten, it's the wasting of the rest of the critter that I have the problem with.
I've been inside of a slaughter house, the only thing that gets thrown out are plastic ear tags. Even the crap gets sent to the digester feeding the methane generator that runs the hot water heater. Zero waste, the entire cow is utilized in some way or another.

Veal, the other white meat.
Been inside of a veal "farm" too, the critters are in small cages (no exercise to toughen the meat) They have a constant case of the runs from being fed nothing but milk, they're anemic & sickly looking.
Most folks wouldn't want to eat stuff that looks that rough.

 

[DennisW]

The fact that shark is being eaten does not offend me in the least. The fact that they kill the shark only for it's fins, does. The rest of the shark meat could be processed and used as food for people, animals, etc. It is a huge waste.

I still say the question has no legitimate answer.

 

[ScottyK]

Bob3 once bubbled...
That being said, I have no problem with shark being eaten, it's the wasting of the rest of the critter that I have the problem with.

That pretty much sums up my feelings as well. If sharks were harvested in a regulated, environmentally responsible manner, and if 90% of the body wasn't tossed out, I'd be fine with it.

DeepSeaFox- I don't think there was a stigma back then because the real bad wholesale finning is a fairly recent phenomena. I'm not sure of the exact timelines, but it evolved something like this:

Sharks used to be harvested, and used in total by local fisherman in local economic markets. Because they are a top predator, they have low reproduction rates, and are depleted more quickly than other species.

When they became less common, the prices started going up. The fins, being relatively small compared to the rest of the fish, had their value inflate faster than the steaks and cartilage.

As they became harder to find, the fishermans costs started to go up. They needed bigger boats, more fuel, and more crewman to range farther and farther. At some point, some genius said, hey if we bring back 2,000 lbs of fins instead of 2,000 lbs of whole sharks we make 50 times as much money.

Unfortunately, one boat can also kill many more sharks per trip this way.

I would never blame something on, or put down an entire culture. A lot of the problem is greedy people who care more about making a fast buck than anything else. There are people like that in "every" culture. Having said that, if you eat shark fin soup, you are are contributing to this as surely as a westerner who eats veal is financing veal farms.

It's a personal choice that each person has to make for themselves, I guess......

Scott

 

[agstreet]

To be fair, I don't think anyone who isn't living in Asia can give a meaningful answer. It's too easy for someone in the USA or Europe to say they won't eat shark's fin when it's essentially never served. Ask someone living in Singapore if they'll forgo the shark's fin soup at a friends wedding this December and you'll be asking a much more difficult question. Although I oppose eating shark's fin soup today on moral grounds (the practice of finning would be analogous to killing chickens just to eat their wings, then throwing the rest of the bird away), there were times when I lived in Singapore where it would have been very rude to refuse. Now that I'm back in San Diego, it's easy for me to say I won't eat it, but that's as much because of the different culture than it is my moral stance.

Alan

 

[JustAddWater]

I've had whale, horse and a few other taboo foods while I lived in Asia, but I've never eaten shark fin soup, and probably never will. Thresher shark is delicious though; rivaling swordfish in taste.
Now excuse me while I get back to my BBQ spotted owl sandwich.

 

[Doc]

Bad enough the Chineese eat Jaws, wait till you hear what's on the menu in Korea! (Just be sure to "wok your dog")

How about those huge bottles of pills in the chemist shops that are filled with Shark Cartlidge? Just 'cause you can't put Tabasco on it doesn't make it any better. Is "Condroiton" one of them?

We are working on "Farm Raised Shark" (versus "free range") and are feeding them on a macrobiotic diet, organic nutrients and feeder poodles (dyed pink for visual appeal- they just gobble 'em up). Having trouble retaining help to feed them, however. Not much use around here for a one armed lunch lady.

Roatan Man

 

[cudachaser]

Manatee Steaks (with potatos)

 

[Doc]

Medallions of manatee lightly braised in a wine sauce- with Sanil Darter Souffle as a side dish.

Heavy on the Spotted Owl Dressing!

 

[MikeJacobs]

Scubaroo once bubbled... This is ScubaBoard, not PETABoard. SNIP... I grew up on a beef farm - I know where your meat comes from.

Funny, though I have no respect for the "humanitarian" objections to harvesting I do regard the "ecological" issues as very important. Would I eat shark fin soup given the opportunity? Probably, although I don't think I'd make a habit of it. So my vote is no except for once lol.

 

[Mr. Sunday]

I am currently in Thailand. There must be dozens of restaurants within a few miles of me that advertise shark fin. It is heavily marketed here mostly towards the Chinese tourists.
I personally have a problem with eating the sharks. I would much rather see them out on a dive than on a plate or in a bowl. This area was known for its sharks and attracted tourists to see feedings years ago. Those days are no more as all but a few of the sharks are gone. Maybe with time and education things will change but by then it might just be too late.