My Opinions On Shark Finning

[Kalakda]

You know, a while back, I read a series of Sherman's Lagoon comics where the main character gets scooped up by a bunch of (Chinese) fishermen, got his fins cut off, and is then dumped into the sea where he dies (temporarily). This got me thinking, so I looked up 'Shark Finning' on Wikipedia and it explained that one of the main points against this practice is the fact that after being finned, the sharks are dumped into the water-- while still alive! The sharks the die a slow agonizing death. This has got thinking, "Why don't the fishermen just kill the sharks before being thinned, why can't those Chinamen get the hint?

[Niur]

You know, a while back, I read a series of Sherman's Lagoon comics where the main character gets scooped up by a bunch of (Chinese) fishermen, got his fins cut off, and is then dumped into the sea where he dies (temporarily). This got me thinking, so I looked up 'Shark Finning' on Wikipedia and it explained that one of the main points against this practice is the fact that after being finned, the sharks are dumped into the water-- while still alive! The sharks the die a slow agonizing death. This has got thinking, "Why don't the fishermen just kill the sharks before being thinned, why can't those Chinamen get the hint?

More importantly, why not just not fin them at all?

[Non Aligned States]

This has got thinking, "Why don't the fishermen just kill the sharks before being thinned, why can't those Chinamen get the hint?

Have you tried killing a shark with a serrated knife? Unless you're packing a speargun and know good shark anatomy, all you'll do is just wound the thing. They don't die easy.

[Kalakda]

Well, because the Chinese use shark fins to make some sort of soup that's commonly served at weddings and banquets and is very popular. The soup has been around since the Ming Dynasty, so it's an ancient tradition.

[Kalakda]

This has got thinking, "Why don't the fishermen just kill the sharks before being thinned, why can't those Chinamen get the hint?

Have you tried killing a shark with a serrated knife? Unless you're packing a speargun and know good shark anatomy, all you'll do is just wound the thing. They don't die easy.

Not unless you got a gun, a good AK-47 would suit.

[Helgrin]

You know, a while back, I read a series of Sherman's Lagoon comics where the main character gets scooped up by a bunch of (Chinese) fishermen, got his fins cut off, and is then dumped into the sea where he dies (temporarily). This got me thinking, so I looked up 'Shark Finning' on Wikipedia and it explained that one of the main points against this practice is the fact that after being finned, the sharks are dumped into the water-- while still alive! The sharks the die a slow agonizing death. This has got thinking, "Why don't the fishermen just kill the sharks before being thinned, why can't those Chinamen get the hint?

More importantly, why not just not fin them at all?

Because they like Shark Fin Soup.

[The Grand World Order]

My opinion on shark finning is this:

It makes some tasty meals.

[Muravyets]

Well, because the Chinese use shark fins to make some sort of soup that's commonly served at weddings and banquets and is very popular. The soup has been around since the Ming Dynasty, so it's an ancient tradition.

So was dying of smallpox, but they saw fit to give that up along with the rest of the world. I fail to see why some ancient tradition that used to make only the tiniest impact on the shark population because so relatively few people were doing it, should now be carried on to such an extreme it is driving species towards extinction. For some fucking soup that tastes like shit anyway.

[Kalakda]

Well, in the light of China's booming economy, demand has shot up. And people didn't much about diseases, infection, and germs back then.

[Niur]

Well, because the Chinese use shark fins to make some sort of soup that's commonly served at weddings and banquets and is very popular. The soup has been around since the Ming Dynasty, so it's an ancient tradition.

So? The aztec people had been sacrificing people to their gods for hundreds of years, it was traditition, did that make it right? But lets not make a straw man argument. I don't beilive traddition justifies driving any creature to extinction. If they really want shark fin soup, they should make shark farms. If they can't do that, synthisize it, or use some other fishes fin that are already farmes and spice it so that it tastes like shark.

[Niur]

Well, in the light of China's booming economy, demand has shot up. And people didn't much about diseases, infection, and germs back then.

So? Might dosn't make right.

[Niur]

I have decided to post the comics here so all can see. Please do not mark me down for img spamming, this is pertaining to the original post.

[New Ziedrich]

I'm not terribly fond of they way they do this. It's wasteful and inefficient, and hunting pretty much any species to such low numbers is shortsighted. They should just capture a few live ones and start up a large breeding program. I'm sure there are plenty of Chinese who'd be willing to work on a shark farm.

They get their shark fin soup, and the sharks get to restore their populations. Most people should find this agreeable.

[New Kereptica]

I have decided to post the comics here so all can see. Please do not mark me down for img spamming, this is pertaining to the original post.

That's quite obviously an appeal to emotion

[Helgrin]

I'm not terribly fond of they way they do this. It's wasteful and inefficient, and hunting pretty much any species to such low numbers is shortsighted. They should just capture a few live ones and start up a large breeding program. I'm sure there are plenty of Chinese who'd be willing to work on a shark farm.

They get their shark fin soup, and the sharks get to restore their populations. Most people should find this agreeable.

Domesticated sharks! Fuck yes!!

[Muravyets]

Well, in the light of China's booming economy, demand has shot up.

To echo Niur, people wanting it does not justify destroying the shark populations just to sell it to them. If they want it that bad (and no one will ever be able to explain to me why anyone would want that glop so much), let them use their human brains to figure out a better way to get it.

Also:

And people didn't much about diseases, infection, and germs back then.

Back when? Do you mean five minutes or ten minutes before the hundreds of years ago when people first started experimenting with innoculations against it? Millions of people still died of it for generations after that, you know. People don't wait to understand how a disease works before they'll start to realize they don't want to die of it.

Also, if people could figure out that they didn't want to live in a world where they spread smallpox amongst each other, then they can also figure out that they don't want to live in a world where they just mindlessly destroy things and inflict cruelty on living creatures just so they can have an expensive bowl of soup once in a while.

[Niur]

I have decided to post the comics here so all can see. Please do not mark me down for img spamming, this is pertaining to the original post.

That's quite obviously an appeal to emotion

Hunor is an emotion, yes.

[New Ziedrich]

If they want it that bad (and no one will ever be able to explain to me why anyone would want that glop so much), let them use their human brains to figure out a better way to get it.

I wonder if I can make lots of money from environmentally sustainable shark fin soup? Worth a shot.

[Muravyets]

I'm not terribly fond of they way they do this. It's wasteful and inefficient, and hunting pretty much any species to such low numbers is shortsighted. They should just capture a few live ones and start up a large breeding program. I'm sure there are plenty of Chinese who'd be willing to work on a shark farm.

They get their shark fin soup, and the sharks get to restore their populations. Most people should find this agreeable.

I'd happily accept it. I'm all for fish farming. They can kill the sharks, fin them, sell the rest to MacDonald's or Purina.

[New Ziedrich]

I'd happily accept it. I'm all for fish farming. They can kill the sharks, fin them, sell the rest to MacDonald's or Purina.

I've heard from more than a few people that shark meat actually isn't half bad. I'd like to try it, except for the declining shark populations and all.

[Techno-Soviet]

You know, a while back, I read a series of Sherman's Lagoon comics where the main character gets scooped up by a bunch of (Chinese) fishermen, got his fins cut off, and is then dumped into the sea where he dies (temporarily). This got me thinking, so I looked up 'Shark Finning' on Wikipedia and it explained that one of the main points against this practice is the fact that after being finned, the sharks are dumped into the water-- while still alive! The sharks the die a slow agonizing death. This has got thinking, "Why don't the fishermen just kill the sharks before being thinned, why can't those Chinamen get the hint?

More importantly, why not just not fin them at all?

This.

[Muravyets]

I'd happily accept it. I'm all for fish farming. They can kill the sharks, fin them, sell the rest to MacDonald's or Purina.

I've heard from more than a few people that shark meat actually isn't half bad. I'd like to try it, except for the declining shark populations and all.

Over-fishing is the reason I don't eat it. I try to support only sustainable fisheries.

[The Parthians]

More importantly, why not just not fin them at all?

Because shark fin soup = win.

No really. It's awesome.

[Anti-Social Darwinism]

Well, because the Chinese use shark fins to make some sort of soup that's commonly served at weddings and banquets and is very popular. The soup has been around since the Ming Dynasty, so it's an ancient tradition.

And, if you've ever had shark fin soup you'd know just what a nasty, vile dish it is - blecch.

Some traditions should die, this is one of them.

[Lord-General Drache]

Well, because the Chinese use shark fins to make some sort of soup that's commonly served at weddings and banquets and is very popular. The soup has been around since the Ming Dynasty, so it's an ancient tradition.

It's not just tradition, it's one of their many idiotic superstitions that it promotes good health and fertility or some such unscientific nonsense.