No More Shark's Fin Soup

Jessica L., 10, F.I.S.

Shark’s fin soup is a dish that goes back many years in China. Lots of people eat it because it is an old tradition, but it harms the shark species and affects the species which are linked to sharks. People cut off shark fins and throw the animals back into the sea to die. This practice is killing millions of sharks because the dish is very popular in China. The Hong Kong government should ban shark’s fin soup because all animals should be treated equally, sharks are already endangered, and tradition should not be a priority.

Humans are actually animals, evolved from apes. We are animals, except that we have developed more than sharks. Why do we have to push the other species around us to the brink of extinction? People might say, “But we are the best species and we have the right to stomp sharks out.” Just because we are the best does not mean that we have the right to stomp others out. As executive Chinese chef Ip Kwok-fai says, “It is not hard to create alternatives to shark’s fin soup.” Alternatives might just be made out of something simple and good.

If sharks are endangered, why do we still harm them? We are being selfish and cruel to this species by killing them for food when there are thousands of equally good-tasting alternatives. Some people might wonder, “Well, lots of species are endangered. Why should I be caring particularly for sharks?” The truth is that we need to care for all of these endangered species. We cannot just care for one. “Shark’s fin-free supporters are a minority in Hong Kong,” says Toby Kwan, marketing manager of the LH group. However, we can change that if we stop eating shark’s fin soup.

Tradition is important, and that is true. But is it as important as having a species disappear before one’s eyes? Young couples these days only order shark’s fin soup to not be embarrassed in front of their parents. “I need to impress my parents,” people might say. But wouldn’t their parents be more proud if they supported part of a movement to save a species? “Actually, they ended up being very supportive,” says corporate banker Arthur Chan Yat-long, who asked his parents about not having shark’s fin soup at his wedding.

Lots of species are endangered, partly because of us humans. We have killed other species that are endangered for fun. If we lose these species, the world will not be the same. There will be no sharks patrolling the sea, no giant pandas at safaris. It should be our job, as the greatest species, to tend to these smaller species. We have our own part to play.