魚翅FAQ - FAQ about Shark Fin

1. 為什麼不應吃魚翅?

破壞海洋生態：由於魚翅的需求大，世界各地的漁民都大規模捕殺鯊魚，所得的魚翅大都是為了供應中式飲宴，導致不少鯊魚品種都瀕臨絕種邊緣。同時，由鯊魚是海洋食物網上層的獵食者，一旦數目大幅下降，便會導致中層的較小魚類數目不受控制，進而令到最下層的動物如貝殼類等被過渡獵食，有研究發現過渡捕鯊令到貝殼類產量同時下跌，可見捕鯊產業其實是對其他海產業範圍有負面影響的。

由於鯊魚屬於海洋食物網的最上層，且壽命較其他魚類長，因為其一生捕食大量其他魚類，並將重金屬如汞(水銀，mercury) 積蓄在體內。汞能傷害人體中樞神經和令男士精子數量減少。

1. Why shouldn’t we eat shark fin?

Destruction of marine ecosystem: Because of the high demand of sharks’ fin all over the world, particularly the demand for Chinese cuisine, huge amount of sharks of various species have been killed. As a result, many shark species are endangered. Also, sharks are among the top of the food web. Once their amount decreases significantly, the amount of smaller fish in the middle of the food web will be out of control and there would be excessive predation for the organisms at the bottom of the food web, for example, scallops. The relationship between massive killing of sharks and the decreasing amount of scallops is supported by researches. Therefore, killing sharks for luxurious consumption in fact does harm on fishery industries in general.

Another reason is that as sharks are on the highest level of the food web, having a long life and hence consuming a huge amount of fish, they absorb high dose of heavy metals from the fishes and accumulate in their bodies. One of the heavy metal, for example, mercury, causes damage to our central nervous system and decreases the number of sperms when consumed.

2. 每年消耗了多少鯊魚被捕獲?

每年大約有一億條鯊魚被捕獲，約7千3百萬條為供應魚翅用，去年單是香港便消耗了約9396噸魚翅。

2. How many sharks are consumed every year?

About 100,000,000 sharks are caught every year. About 73,000,000 are caught for supplying shark fin. Last year, Hong Kong alone consumed 9,396 tons of shark fin.

3. 我們的訴求

在確定各鯊魚品種數目穩定、以及捕捉鯊魚的行為符合可持續發展和人道的原則之前，要求全港社會暫時停止入口、銷售、收藏及食用魚翅。

3. Our Urge

We urge all Hong Kong people to stop importing, selling, storing and consuming shark fin, before assuring that the number of all shark species are stable, and the hunting process are sustainable and moral.

4. 停止食用魚翅不會影響有關行業的生計嗎?

過度捕鯊已經影響到其他海產的產量，以其他海產為生的漁業一樣受到打擊，魚翅業的收益是建築在其他海產業者的損失上，所以減少食用魚翅必定對整體海產業有正面幫助。

另一方面，保育鯊魚也可促進旅遊業，在澳洲、馬爾代夫和菲律賓等地觀賞鯨鯊都為當地帶來可觀的旅遊收益。

http://www.hksharkfoundation.org/resources2.php

4. Wouldn’t it adversely affect the fishery industries if we stop eating shark fin?

In fact, over catching has already adversely affected the industries because of the reduction of other species, for example, scallops. The profits made from the sale of sharks are in fact generated by causing harm on others. Therefore, reducing eating sharks’ fin actually helps the fishery industries.

On the other hand, conserving sharks help boost the tourism industries as well. Countries including Australia, Maldives and the Philippines are benefited by whales or sharks watching tours.

http://www.hksharkfoundation.org/resources2.php

5. 香港社會對魚翅的態度

雖然食用魚翅是中國飲宴的傳統，然而近年來已有不少市民或機構覺醒保育鯊魚的重要性而發起停食魚翅。

市民：2010年3月有網民在 facebook 發起「魚翅婚宴 人情七折」群組，響應人數超過1萬8千。

機構：55個機構已承諾，在其公司活動中，不會出售或購買魚翅；香港大學亦規定校內食肆一律不得供應魚翅，同時，該校舉辦的宴會上亦不可提供魚翅；而迪士尼園內的餐廳亦不會提供有魚翅的宴會餐單。

政府：最近一次政府就魚翅表態是在2005年，時任環境運輸及工務局局長的廖秀冬回覆立法會議員提問時表示，未納入《瀕危野生動植物種國際貿易公約》保護的鯊魚品種「它們的國際貿易和食用是合法及不受公約的規管。因此，在本港食用此類魚翅亦不受本地條例的規管」，「所以未有制訂指引規定官方宴會中食物的種類，也沒有計劃向市民宣傳不應進食這些未受公約管制的魚翅。」我們希望政府重新審視其內部指引。

5. What are the attitudes of Hong Kong people towards sharks’ fin?

Although sharks’ fin soup is a traditional Chinese cuisine, more and more people and organizations have recently become aware of the importance of conserving sharks.

Citizens: In March 2010, netizens advocated a group named “Wedding Party with Shark Fin- Monetary Gifts 30% Off” in Facebook. The number of member joining has exceeded 10,000.

Organizations: 55 organizations have promised not to buy and sell sharks’ fin in the events of their companies. The University of Hong Kong has also restricted its catering services partners not to provide shark fin in the University. Parties organized by the University are not allowed to have shark fin as dishes. Restaurants in Disney Land exclude shark fin as an available dish for parties.

The Government: Its latest view towards dining sharks’ fin was raised in 2005. The Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau, Miss Sarah Liao (as she then was) replied a question from members of the Legislation Council, claiming that sharks which were not protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora could be legally dined. She claimed that because those sharks were not protected by the international convention, local legislation would not regulate the consumption of shark fin for citizens or governmental events and there would not be any plan for promoting the conservation of those sharks. We sincerely urge the government to review and set up their relevant guidelines. http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200512/14/P200512140157_print.htm

6. 學校在減少食用魚翅上還可以做什麼?

學校除了在宴會上不食魚翅，可以在生物課加插環節，討論過渡捕獵與生態平衡的關係，並以魚翅/鯊魚為例子，同時說明鯊魚作為食物網的上層，體內積聚的重金屬較其他海產為多，多吃對健康有害。

6. Apart from stopping shark fin, what would schools do?

Schools could include related teaching in lessons, for example, having news clips about the conservation of sharks and marine ecology in foreign countries in English for reading comprehension, having discussion about the effect of over catching of marine organisms on the balanced relationship in ecology during liberal studies classes.

7. 魚翅外有什麼替代品

可改以素翅、魚翅瓜或其他較名貴菜式如鮑魚雞絲燴竹笙代替。

7. Are there any substitutes for shark fin?

It is not preferable to pick wild animals as substitutes. If animals are caught or feed for food for human, the way of keeping or catching them should be sustainable. It is not desirable to have another animals suffer when conserving the sharks. Best substitutes include vegetarian shark’s fin soup and shark fin pumpkins.

參考資料：

世界自然基金會香港分會WWF，承諾停食魚翅的機構名單 http://apps.wwf.org.hk/seafood/chi/sharkfin/company.php

「野生救援」：

魚翅是不健康的，可能有毒。http://shark.wildaidchina.org/cn/learn-more/shark-fin-soup-is-not-healthy.html

http://www.wildaid.org/PDF/reports/AtRockBottom.pdf

《要讓大海把血流乾嗎?-- 全球鯊魚的過度捕撈和種群衰落》 http://shark.wildaidchina.org/images/stories/documents_chinese/shark%20report%20Mandarin090825.pdf

世界衛生組織對汞(水銀)的簡介http://www.who.int/phe/news/Mercury-flyer.pdf

Ransom A. Myers, et al., Cascading Effects of the Loss of Apex Predatory Sharks from a Coastal Ocean; Science 315, p1846-50, March 2007

夏威夷通過禁魚翅法令

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/27/AR2010042705807.html

Sharks Denied CITES Protections

http://www.sharktrust.org/content.asp?did=35116

Shark

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark

References:

World Wild Fund – Hong Kong, the list of organizations promising stop to eat sharks’ fin:

http://apps.wwf.org.hk/seafood/chi/sharkfin/company.php

WildAid: “Eating shark fin is not healthy and possibly poisonous”:

http://shark.wildaidchina.org/cn/learn-more/shark-fin-soup-is-not-healthy.html

http://www.wildaid.org/PDF/reports/AtRockBottom.pdf

“Must the ocean bleeding to death?- over catching of sharks”

http://shark.wildaidchina.org/images/stories/documents_chinese/shark%20report%20Mandarin090825.pdf

Description of mercury by World Health Organization:

http://www.who.int/phe/news/Mercury-flyer.pdf

Ransom A. Myers, et al., Cascading Effects of the Loss of Apex Predatory Sharks from a Coastal Ocean; Science 315, p 1846-50, March 2007.

「護鯊校園」 參加名單 (2010年5月7日更新)

崇基幼稚園
樂景幼稚園
杯澳公立學校
佛教金麗幼稚園
順德聯誼總會梁潔華幼稚園
金巴崙長老會青草地幼稚園
大埔浸信會公立學校
長洲官立中學
聖公會基恩小學
保良局田家炳兆康幼稚園
筲箕灣聖光學校暨中英文幼稚園（分校）
聖樂兒教育機構天后中英文幼稚園（二校）
中華基督教會基新中學
新一代英文幼稚園（屯門）
青松湖景幼稚園
基督教宣道會錦綉幼稚園
海怡寶血小學
路德會聖雅各幼稚園
聖文嘉中英文幼稚園（興東）
聖保羅男女中學
福來村錦全幼稚園
浸信會培理學校
大埔商會張學明幼稚園（將軍澳）
潔心林炳炎中學
香港紅卍字會大埔區卍慈中學
香港教育工作者聯會黃楚標學校
路德會愛心幼稚園
佛教榮茵學校
香港漢文師範同學會學校(幼稚園部)
聖文德天主教小學
中華基督教會扶輪中學
新界婦孺福利會上水兒童樂園 

聖公會何澤芸小學 

東華三院盧幹庭紀念中學 

路德會呂祥光中學 

坪石天主教小學 

基督教樂道幼稚園 

八鄉中心小學 

柴灣信愛學校 

聖安當小學 

天主教培聖中學 

聖公會呂明才紀念小學 

中華傳道會劉永生中學 

樂善堂鄧德濂幼稚園 

大埔商會幼稚園 

天主教聖多默幼稚園 

華德學校（下午校）

學界「護鯊校園」計劃。承諾學校各類宴會不吃魚翅

因食用魚翅、濫捕鯊魚使各品種的鯊魚數量銳減，因而衍生各種生態問題。美國夏威夷州議會剛於上週二(4 月27 日)通過法令禁止出售和藏有魚翅。然而主要的魚翅貿易國和香港特區政府卻視若無睹，一再迴避問題。

環保觸覺認為在確定各鯊魚品種數目穩定回升至安全水平、以及捕獵方法符合可持續發展和人道的原則之前，政府應立即採取措施限制及減少魚翅的入口、銷售及收藏，例如向魚翅入口商徵收懲罰性關稅、加強對市民的公眾教育等，而作為長遠的保育方向更應立法禁止魚翅及鯊魚製品入口。

由於現時政府還沒有相關的措施，作為負責任的公民應該由自己做起，停止食用魚翅，以消費者的力量抗衡傳統風俗對環境的傷害。因此，環保觸覺首先向全港中小學及幼稚園發出邀請，參與「護鯊校園」計劃，承諾學校舉行的所有活動及宴會內選擇沒有魚翅的菜單。環保觸覺稍後會公佈參與的學校名單，有關學校會得到本會發出的證書，亦可於學校網站、學校宴會邀請信及校內刊物使用「護鯊校園」的標誌。

現時每間學校每年都會舉行多場宴會，包括校友會、家長教師會、謝師宴及五年一度的週年宴會等，學界參與「護鯊校園」計劃將對減少食用魚翅起顯著作用。環保觸覺呼籲教育界同工能以身作則，以學校自身的實際行動作為身教，向學生宣揚愛護自然的訊息。我們更希望能集結教育界的力量，作為帶領社會的新風尚，鼓勵社會上更多的其他各界人士響應，達致更大規模的停吃魚翅之護鯊行動。本會期望這項計劃有超過200間學校參加。

Press Release - Invite Schools to Join “Sharks We Care” - No Shark Fin for School Events

The amount of sharks is greatly reduced because of dining and over catching. Various kinds of ecological problems are as a result generated. Last Tuesday (27 Apr), the state of Hawaii in the United States passed an Act to stop the sale and storage of shark fin. However, countries and cities having a key share of the trade of shark fin, including Hong Kong, still turn a blind eye on the need of the conservation of sharks and neglect the problem of over catching.

We, Green Sense, urge the government immediately restrict and reduce the import, sale and storage of shark fin as the amount of sharks are not yet proven to be stable, and principles of humanity and sustainability are not yet included in the means of catching. Actions including imposing penalty tax on importers of sharks’ fin and promoting public education should be taken. For the long run, having a legislative ban on the sale of sharks’ fin or any other products made of sharks would better preserve the ecology.

It is because the government takes no action that citizens, as consumers, have to take actions ourselves – stop eating shark fin and safeguard our environment! We, Green Sense, invite all kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools in Hong Kong to join “Sharks We Care” campaign, promising no shark fin for all school events and parties. We would later announce the list of schools joining “Sharks We Care” campaign. Those “caring” schools would receive certificates and they could publish the logo signifying “caring school” on their websites, invitation letter for parties and their journals.

Nowadays, many parties are organized by schools every year, for example, parties for alumni, parents-teachers association, 5-year anniversaries and thankyou parties for teachers. Therefore, schools joining “Sharks We Care” would significantly help reduce the consumption of shark fin. We urge schools teach students preserving the nature by their own conduct – stop killing sharks themselves. More importantly, we hope that the education sector would as a result lead a new trend in the society. More and more people would be encouraged and we would together arouse a massive scale campaign for protecting sharks. The target of the “Sharks We Care” campaign is to have more than 200 school participants.

Mr. Wong Ka-wo, Chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants & Related Trades (HKFORT), (also Chairman of Kampery Development Limited) is willing to answer questions of reporters through phone after the press conference.