This guy thinks the Shark Finning issue is an attack on his culture.

[Teamcasa]

Conserving sharks is an entirely reasonably policy goal, and the role of sharks as an important part of marine ecosystems is well documented. However, by targeting a specific (primarily Asian) cultural practice as "the worst thing to ever happen to sharks", while neglecting the apocalyptic effects of largely Western-driven anthropogenic ocean acidification and climate change on these same ecosystems, Westerners are again demonstrating that cultural imperialism runs deep and strong. Western policies and practices caused the near extinction of Atlantic cod and salmon (and their related ecosystems), the collapse of orange roughy, the ongoing collapse of the (delicious) salmon of western North America, and so on.

No one ever said Westerner’s are perfect. There are some real efforts being made to regulate the taking of other fish stocks but I’ve chosen to focus on the plight of the shark. Being the apex predator, if they disappear, the other regulations will soon after be moot.

It's sort of difficult for me--having built my career in marine conservation--to take this sudden interest in "oh, no, dead sharks!" seriously, ..

I’m happy to say that you share a point view that only a small number of other marine conservationists share. Your statement makes me think of the RJ Reynolds president when appearing before a Senate Committee saying, ”Mr. Congressman, cigarettes and nicotine clearly do not meet the classic definition of addiction.”
I’ll give your comments the same weight of creditability.

 

[DevonDiver]

How many people got interested in the oceans due to the "Save the Whales" campaigns? Was that wasted effort? I think not, and trust that this effort will not be wasted either.

By his definition; that campaign would also be another example of western cultural imperialism, or some other combination of pseudo-political wording that basically meant "we don't like being told that we are causing a major environmental catastrophe, lets tackle the issue without any blame being apportioned please, even if that makes efforts to address the issue less successful".

 

[okidoki]

Mr Eng get your head out of the sand, killing every year 10's of millions of sharks just for the sake of an old tradition but at the same time endangering many species of sharks to extinction then think what is right. My opinion is that this law should come in effect immediately to safe all those species. It becomes very apparent that the Chinese are exhausting natural resources all over the world e.g. the Amazon rain forests, sharks, tigers and many other habitats. The ones they are not exhausting are the ones in their own massive country. Wake up and smell the coffee Mr Eng it all has nothing to do with tradition but it is all about MONEY and POWER.

 

[merxlin]

Just so everyone knows- the bill was signed in to law this week.

 

[mathauck0814]

I enjoyed the notion that because something disproportionately effected a community made it a bad idea. Perhaps some communities are more morally bankrupt than others?

 

[kritsm]

If shark fishing really isn't commercially important why don't they just ban all commercial shark fishing, for steaks or fins or anything else, it seems to me like that would be a more effective way curb shark fishing rather than just banning the consumption of one part of the already dead shark.