Quote:
Originally Posted by rabbit
If Chinese people want to eat shark fin soup that came from healthy populations of sharks that were caught in a sustainable, environmentally friendly manner, then what's wrong with that?
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One problem (of many) with that is that shark finning primarily occurs in nations that lack the resources to perform regular stock assessments, and are therefore unable to determine which shark species have "healthy" populations.
Another is that it is very difficult and expensive to evaluate populations of pelagic sharks as they cross borders and are usually in international waters. Little is known about pelagic sharks life cycle, which is critical information for fisheries managers.
There is plenty of data out there from independent researchers showing coastal shark populations (of all species) have been devastated in finning hotspots. Unfortunately governments cannot rely on this data to manage fisheries, as it comes in unpredictably and infrequently.
The terms "sustainable" and "environmentally friendly" get tossed around way too easily. Few people actually stop and think about the extensive amount of data and analysis needed to justify them. More often than not, it is just a marketing strategy and there is no justification behind it at all.