ATTITUDES TO SHARKS AND SHARK FIN CONSUMPTION IN EAST ASIA

		Shark Conference 2000 Online Documents Honolulu, Hawaii February 21-24
Sponsored By: The Barbara Delano Foundation The Homeland Foundation The David & Lucile Packard Foundation The AVINA Foundation	Presented By: WildAid Hawaii Audubon Society Pacific Fisheries Coalition
ATTITUDES TO SHARKS AND SHARK FIN CONSUMPTION IN EAST ASIA
Ng Wai Yee EarthCare G.P.O. Box 11546 Hong Kong Tel: (852) 25780434 Fax: (852) 25780522 Email: [email protected] Abstract It is of paramount importance that the urgent conservation problem of sharks is identified and causes are located, especially from the market consumption perspective. Perceived as health food (especially the healing of cancer), gourmet specialty and great delicacy, gifts and important dishes of feasts associated with traditional royal elegance, shark fins are in huge demand in Chinese societies, especially if people there could afford it. Earthcare (Hong Kong), being located at the window of China and the hinge between the east and the west where the economic resources rendered shark fin consumption a serious threat to the shark population, provides the right ground for understanding of the consumption issues of shark fins and other products with shark ingredients. Hong Kong, as the major entrepot and import-exporter for China which has a population of 1.2 billion, is also the place where conservation education should be targeted at. As the major consumers of shark fin and shark products, Hong Kong people is the foremost group to be targeted at when shark conservation is the topic of concern. Due to different cultural backgrounds, educational campaigns must be tailored to the particular culture and life of the local people so that the messages could be delivered effectively. A research on the cultural attitudes towards the issue would be discussed - a valid starting point for providing and paving the way for more effective solutions.

Shark Conference 2000
Online Documents
Honolulu, Hawaii February 21-24

Sponsored By:
The Barbara Delano Foundation
The Homeland Foundation
The David & Lucile Packard Foundation
The AVINA Foundation

Presented By:
WildAid
Hawaii Audubon Society
Pacific Fisheries Coalition

ATTITUDES TO SHARKS AND SHARK FIN CONSUMPTION IN EAST ASIA

Ng Wai Yee
EarthCare
G.P.O. Box 11546
Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 25780434
Fax: (852) 25780522
Email: [email protected]

Abstract

It is of paramount importance that the urgent conservation problem of sharks is identified and causes are located, especially from the market consumption perspective. Perceived as health food (especially the healing of cancer), gourmet specialty and great delicacy, gifts and important dishes of feasts associated with traditional royal elegance, shark fins are in huge demand in Chinese societies, especially if people there could afford it. Earthcare (Hong Kong), being located at the window of China and the hinge between the east and the west where the economic resources rendered shark fin consumption a serious threat to the shark population, provides the right ground for understanding of the consumption issues of shark fins and other products with shark ingredients. Hong Kong, as the major entrepot and import-exporter for China which has a population of 1.2 billion, is also the place where conservation education should be targeted at. As the major consumers of shark fin and shark products, Hong Kong people is the foremost group to be targeted at when shark conservation is the topic of concern. Due to different cultural backgrounds, educational campaigns must be tailored to the particular culture and life of the local people so that the messages could be delivered effectively. A research on the cultural attitudes towards the issue would be discussed - a valid starting point for providing and paving the way for more effective solutions.