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  Straits Times Forum 17 Jul 07
Wet market stallholder selling shark meat
Letter from Luo Caifeng (Miss)

I WAS buying fish at the wet market on the morning of July 8 and was appalled to see a stallholder selling shark meat. A few of the whole sharks were about a metre or less in length and there were some huge chunks of meat which were already cut, indicating that they were from more-grown-up sharks.

The shark meat was snapped up pretty quickly maybe because it is considered a rare sight, or a more exotic dish or because it is relatively cheap. The stallholder recommended that you can use the shark meat to make fish and chips.

This reminded me of the article about the ban of shark meat fish and chips in China due to the Olympics.

It made me a bit sick to look at the dead sharks on sale, let alone eating them. Is it legal to sell shark meat?

I think we need to create more awareness about the dying shark population.

The consumption of shark's fin soup is still very popular among Chinese dinners. There was not one wedding dinner that I went to that did not serve the so-called delicacy. I have stopped consuming shark's fin soup for a few years and I have already decided not to serve shark's-fin soup at my wedding. A lot of relatives and friends may be disappointed but at least I feel that I have done my part, and at least hope that I can convey my message of not killing sharks to the people around me. I hope hotels and restaurants can offer more dishes to replace shark's-fin soup.

Singaporeans, let us not just slurp up the delicacy; sharks are facing extinction. Our younger generation may not be able to see live sharks anymore at the rate sharks are being consumed.
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