Shark Fin Soup Just Got Worse: The Secret at the Bottom of Your Bowl
Lopping the fins off live sharks—who then sink to the bottom of the ocean unable to swim or hunt—is already a controversial topic in the foodie world. A new study is about to up the ante on the debate.
Researchers at Stony Brook University's Institute for Ocean Conservation Science (SBUIOCS) rounded up and tested samples of shark fin soup from 14 major cities in the U.S. and discovered an unsavory secret: DNA from eight species of sharks found in the soups are under environmental protection. One shark—the Scalloped Hammerhead—is an endangered species, largely because of increasing demand for shark fin delicacies.
In some regions of the world, the Scalloped Hammerhead population has declined by more than 99 percent in the last three decades, the Guardian reported in 2008, when the species landed on the endangered list.
MORE: Shark Fin Bans: Human Racism or Creature Compassion?
At the time of publication, nine species of sharks were being added to the list of endangered species. Julia Baum of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California told the Guardian, "Sharks are definitely at the top of the list for marine fishes that could go extinct in our lifetimes."
Two threatened hammerhead shark species—which are not protected by laws—were also identified in the soup samples.
In 2009, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reported that 32 percent of the world's sharks are threatened with extinction.
While overpopulation is a problem for many marine species, sharks are particularly susceptible because they mature slowly and propigate relatively few young.
Much of sharks' population decline has been attributed to China, where shark fin soup is a delicacy. Consequently, bans on shark fin soup have been met with allegations of Sinophobia. But the results of the study at SBUIOCS suggest the U.S. isn't off the hook either.
"This is further proof that shark fin soup here in the United States—not just in Asia—is contributing to the global decline of sharks," Liz Karan, manager of global shark conservation at the Pew Environmental Group, said in the IOCS report.
It's already illegal to sell or possess fins in Hawaii, Washington, California, Illinois, and Oregon, but other states remain in gray waters.
For consumers, eating a bowl of soup carries the weight of possible environmental devastation.
"U.S. consumers of shark fin soup cannot be certain of what's in their soup," said Dr. Demian Chapman, who co-led the testing in the study. "They could be eating a species that is in serious trouble."
What are your thoughts on shark fin soup? Would you eat it, knowing you might be eating an endangered species?
Related Stories on TakePart:
Are You Eating Shark Fin Soup, Too?
California Bans Cruel Shark Finning
A sucker for sustainable agriculture and a good farmers market, Megan likes writing about food almost as much as eating it. If you don't want to know what's in your fruit/milk/meat, don't invite her to lunch. @babybokchoy | TakePart.com
