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WildAid and model Hannah Quinlivan urge the public to not eat shark fins

Also from a health point of view, eating shark fins which contain much mercury and lead is not healthy

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Chang Chang-ter (left), chairman of the Life Conservationist Association; model Hannah Quinlivan (center); and John Baker (right), managing director f...

Chang Chang-ter (left), chairman of the Life Conservationist Association; model Hannah Quinlivan (center); and John Baker (right), managing director f... (Taiwan News photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—Model Hannah Quinlivan (昆凌), who serves as the global charity ambassador for WildAid this year, advocated for the “protect the ocean and say no to shark fin soup” campaign in a press conference in Taipei on February 3, urging the public to stop using shark fins for any diet in order to stop shark-finning and shark fin trading.

John Baker, managing director for WildAid, said, “in particular, we want to build the campaign and make it more important to save the shark in the ocean" at a time when the predator, which everyone gets scared of, need help.”

“Unfortunately, for many years, we have all been talking about many reasons why we should no longer be consuming and serving shark fin soups; however, there are still way too many sharks being killed for their fins, so today we are here to begin again the campaign to remind everyone to not buy, eat shark fin soups for their health.”

Noting that there are more than 300 species of sharks around the world and only about 14 of them have legal protection against international trade, Baker said sharks do not have the same legal protection as many other species, and “it’s why we have to be together, volunteer, make our own effort and pledge never to use, buy or serve shark fins.”

Practically it is also very difficult to enforce the laws protecting the few shark species because most officials can’t tell one shark fin from another, he said, adding that therefore the best solution is to stop using them.

Chang Chang-ter (張章得), chairman of the Life Conservationist Association (LCA), said that Taiwan not only catches sharks for their fins but also imports them from around the world for consumption, adding that Taiwan imported about 500 tons of shark fins in 2017.

However, citing inspection findings, Chang said large quantities of mercury, lead and other heavy metals have been found in shark fins.

He said that the U.S. government has publicly warned and urged pregnant women and children to not consume shark fins for health reasons. And in neighboring Hong Kong, heavy metals exceeding legal limits have been found in shark fins and lips during inspections of fish sold by fishmongers. From a food safety point of view, it is to be hoped that the Taiwanese government will attach much importance to this issue.

As the Lunar New Year is approaching, every business in every walk of life is getting ready for a year-end banquet and every household is preparing for a get-together dinner. WildAid urged the public to begin protecting sharks and the ocean by not buying shark fins or ordering shark fin dishes because "when the buying stops, the killing can too."

WildAid and model Hannah Quinlivan urge the public to not eat shark fins

Model Hannah Quinlivan (Photo by Taiwan News)

WildAid Taiwan