I was born with a face only a mother could love.
What would you think of when you saw the title?
A disfigured child?
A toddler that had been stricken with a rare disease that left him beyond recognition?
The young of an endangered species?
These were the first lines of a newsletter I received from Project Aware.
Project Aware: Finn The Shark
Who would have thought that this was what a shark has to say. Yes, you saw it right. A shark. The ruler of the ocean. The almighty in the deep blue sea. The deadliest creature in the waters. Or so you believed.
I was tickled to the bones when I saw this line but I do know the importance in the following message. Sharks are an endangered species. According to a new study, there are fewer than 3,500 great whites left in the oceans, making them rarer than tigers.
Contrary to beliefs that sharks attack people, they hardly do and even when they do, it is usually an accident. Sharks mistook human beings for seals when we are swimming in the waters. The sensationalism of any shark attacks and them being made infamous by the movie ‘Jaws’ does not help either. According to a pictorial summary of things that killed human beings, sharks ranked tenth. The first is obesity! The fear for sharks is irrational and simply silly.
It is definitely important to have these creatures in the waters for it is THEY who maintain the balance in the ocean. Check this pdf out for more info.
Lucky for them, a group of activists have realised the severity of their dwindling numbers and have reacted to the situation. Besides campaigning for donations to protect sharks, they also campaign against the demand for sharks’ fins.
As an individual, I’m proud to say that I support this cause. If you had seen the cruelty of the captivators of these predators, you would have understood why I decided to stop eating sharks’ fins the moment I realised how these fins were obtained. Here’s just one of the many videos you can find on YouTube that clearly demonstrates the vulnerability of these creatures in the hands of man:
First the sharks were hauled out of the waters. Next, while they were still alive and struggling, they have their fins severed off. Lastly, they were thrown back to the waters, helpless and bleeding, to attract more sharks.
Just think, if you were a captive, and to attract more of your kind, you would undergo torture, have your limbs cut off, and thrown back into a familiar environment which you could no longer fend for yourself, just so that more of your species could be lured into the trap. And as you watched helplessly, and probably end up being dinner on their plates, they would also soon, end up in a state like you. It’s pure sadism.
So what did I do to support the cause? Simple. I do not eat sharks’ fin.
Not when I see those pasar malam stalls selling a bowl at a mere $2.
Not when I attend any of my friends’ wedding dinners.
Not when I held my wedding banquet and I did so by choosing Bugis Intercontinental as the venue for my banquet as they too support the cause.
Most importantly, Poh who has been a fan of sharks’ fin since eons ago, decided to stop eating it too. 🙂
Recently, I was even more delighted to know that the local supermarkets are stopping the sale of the product.
I really hoped that more people could stand up for what is right.
Pinch yourself and think of the unimaginable pain and sufferings the shark went through just so that you could enjoy this bowl of delicacy. Stop being sheepish about having sharks’ fins at your wedding and claimed that it was your elders’ ideas.
Open your eyes and instead of being blind to what you know is happening, keep reminding yourself. The sharks need your help. By stopping the demand, the supply will be reduced in due time.
Til the next post! 🙂
Life is a Gift. Don't Miss it. 
Heck of a wedding pose there. This issue has actually made it into the headlines in some major Chinatowns in Canada. I haven’t followed it because:
a) I rarely have shark’s fin soup. (maybe it was well over 15 yrs. ago I had it???)
b) I’ve never have made the decision to have shark’s fin soup.
Actually I don’t even understand the taste of shark’s fin soup. I never did. What’s so great about it? As you can see, the meaning of the soup is often lost on Westernized Asians.
Not hard for me to support slaughter of sharks just for soup, etc.
Well, Singapore is reported to be the 2nd largest importer of sharks’ fins after Hong Kong so I guess as a nation, we are really one big buyer of the trade. I do feel it is important to start from ourselves and that’s why I would kindly refuse any offers of sharks’ fin. 😉