Just as the tides seem to be turning against the consumption of shark fin soup -- even in Asia, where the delicacy has long been a staple on banquet menus -- some marine life experts are arguing that banning the sale of shark fins is pointless.

Speaking at a seminar organized by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, Dr. Giam Choo Hoo, a member of a United Nations body on endangered species, said that media hype is responsible for 'misconceptions' about the shark-fishing industry. Arguing against widely-circulated images showing bloodied sharks struggling as their fins are hacked off -- popularized by the likes of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay -- Dr. Giam said a vast majority of sharks are not killed to feed the tastes of increasingly-affluent Chinese consumers who consider the dish a status symbol.

He cited research showing 80% of the 73 million sharks killed each year are in fact caught accidentally, and overwhelmingly in developing countries. According to Dr. Giam's research, 25% of the shark catch comes from India and Indonesia -- countries, he says, that are home to 'mostly poor' fishermen who will eat every part of the shark, and then sell off the fin to eager buyers.

'Most fins are humanely taken from landed, dead sharks,' said Dr. Giam, who is a committee member on the U.N. Conventional on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and once Singapore's chief veterinary officer.

The consumption of shark fin, usually in a soup, is most common in East Asia, with 95% of all shark fin consumed within China, according to marineconservation group WildAid. Recent campaigns have netted support from high-profile figures like Richard Branson and Yao Ming, as well as hotels like Shangri-La and some of Singapore's biggest supermarket chains, which have all discouraged consumption of the dish, in some cases removing it from their shelves and menus.

Shibani Mahtani

• institute [´institju:t] n.学院 vt.建立；设置 (初中英语单词)
• responsible [ri´spɔnsəbəl] a.尽责的；责任重大的 (初中英语单词)
• research [ri´sə:tʃ] n.&vi.调查；探究；研究 (初中英语单词)
• international [,intə´næʃənəl] a.国际的，世界的 (初中英语单词)
• consumption [kən´sʌmpʃən] n.消耗；结核病 (高中英语单词)
• delicacy [´delikəsi] n.精美；娇弱，微妙 (高中英语单词)
• banquet [´bæŋkwit] n.宴会，盛宴 (高中英语单词)
• marine [mə´ri:n] a.海的 n.海军陆战队 (高中英语单词)
• species [´spi:ʃi:z] n.(生物的)种，类 (高中英语单词)
• conservation [,kɔnsə´veiʃən] n.保存；节约；守恒 (高中英语单词)
• shelves [ʃelvz] shelf的复数 (高中英语单词)
• staple [´steipəl] n.&vt.(用)钉书钉 (英语四级单词)
• southeast [,sauθ´i:st] n.&a.东南(方) (英语四级单词)
• status [´steitəs] n.身份；情形；状况 (英语四级单词)
• conventional [kən´venʃənəl] a.常规的；协定的 (英语四级单词)
• celebrity [si´lebriti] n.名声；名人 (英语六级单词)
• accidentally [,æksi´dentəli] ad.偶然地 (英语六级单词)