Of Shark fins, Stupidity and Volunteering

Photo from Save Philippine Seas

Shark fin soup is a Chinese delicacy that is supposedly  symbolic of class and wealth. It's a product that is high in demand---serving the expensive dish is seen as a sign of respect to your guests, not to mention a public display of social status. One shark fin soup could cost as much as 100 US Dollars. It is fancy, pricey and precious.

It is also illegal.

Section 4 and Chapter 6 of Republic Act 8550 otherwise known as the Fisheries Code of the Philippines of 1998 states that, "It shall be unlawful for any person to remove any of the fins of a shark (including the tail) and discard the carcass of the shark at sea to have custody, control, or possession of any such fin aboard a vessel without the corresponding carcass, or to land any such fin without the corresponding carcass." You can read more of the bill here.

In other words, don't touch 'em sharkies. Sharks are friends, not food.

Violation of the law could lead to imprisonment of up to twelve (12)  to twenty (20) years, a Php120,000 fine, forfeiture of the catch and the cancellation of fishing permit (GOOD! ). 

So earlier this week, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) discovered four saks of dried shark fins on the M/V Span Asia 1 in Zamboanga en route to Manila. The shark fins which weighed five-tons and was estimated to be worth Php400,000 were (thankfully) seized for violation of the law. 

Unfortunately, the finning continues. Although there has been a crackdown with regards to the sale of shark fin soup with high profile air carriers like Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines giving up shark fin carriage due to online pressure from marine conservationist group Save Sharks Network Philippines. 

To put it bluntly, shark finning is..in a word, stupid. And this stupidity has got to stop. Want to join in the fight?

Start here: Shark Summit 2014 will be held on August 14-15, and they need some Cebu-based volunteers.