Tiger Penis and Shark Fin Soup

By Lucy Grewcock - 05 May 2010

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Food is a massive part of tourism, for some it can be the sole purpose for visiting a country. Yet many of the most exotic local delicacies are sourced from unsustainable, inhumane and often illegal hunting practices. Global travellers need to take responsibility for keeping clued up on the consequences what they’re eating and how it ended up on their plate.

Asia has a healthy appetite for endangered wildlife, with China being the hungriest. Bear paws, tiger penis soup and snake wine are amongst the list of threatened species that appear on Chinese menus. But China is not the only culprit in fuelling demand; Elephant meat in Thailand, cured hammerhead sharks in the Philippines and whale meat sashimi in Japan are all meals that help keep these species on the endangered list.

 ‘Shark Fin Soup’ is one of the most widely available ‘endangered species dishes’; A traditional Chinese delicacy that has been on the menu since the Ming Dynasty and remains a popular choice in restaurants and ceremonies throughout the world today. Regarded as a symbol of wealth, in 2008 Alan Yau’s £40 a bowl soup was removed from his Michelin starred Hakkasan restaurant in West London, following pressure from conservationists. 

Millions of sharks die each year, often slaughtered solely for their fins. Once sawn off, the bodies are thrown back into the sea to endure a slow death. Conservationists estimate that the ‘finning’ practice has led to a ninety percent reduction in shark populations worldwide over the past three decades.
Unless a species is protected, it’s not illegal to sell fins. Over seventy percent pass through Hong Kong, the ‘finning capital of the world’, en-route to mainland China but fishing is carried out throughout the world and fins are collected and traded around the globe from Costa-Rica to Taiwan.
Where legislation exists, loopholes and lack of monitoring keep business booming. You can expect to find fins on the menu in the USA, where finning is allowed if the carcases are also brought ashore.

The CITES recently came under scrutiny following a week of conferences in Doha this March. Despite several international communities expressing concern for the overexploitation of hammerhead sharks, less compassion was shown by China and Japan, who suggested that stricter controls would prove ‘problematic’. As a result, although recognising the need for better management of shark stocks, the CITES concluded that they ‘would not ban trade’ as;

  ‘…limiting harmful trade would serve to enhance food and long-term economic security so important to developing nations’ (CoP15 Inf.69, p2: see App II and Summary record)

NGOs around the globe continue to campaign fiercely, educating consumers and urging them avoid promoting the fin trade. Shark savers, working in collaboration with WildAid campaigned on billboards, TVs, taxis and office buildings in China, piloting the scheme during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Shark Savers claim that following the campaign, 82% of the consumers they asked said that they would stop eating the soup. Their ‘Say 'no' to shark fin soup campaign is set to expand throughout 2010.

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