Bloody Shark Fin Soups

itunes: E=MC2, Mariah Carey (2008)

Sherman's Lagoon comic strip in Sunday's Times today raised the concern on the threats of sharks caused by over-fishing and over-consumption of shark products and by wasteful practices such as finning and needless bycatch. I have quitted eating shark fin after seeing the disturbing pictures of shark finning (there are some below) a couple of years ago. Since then, I have advocating the facts to the people I know over meals, especially when there are shark fin soup being served. I just dun understand why everyone keep giving this silly excuse, "eating once or twice is fine since it merely sacrifice a couple of sharks only." A statement of short-sightness, I would say. Killing stops when demand stops, just look at the magnitude of demand and supply. There is a common sight I noticed. There are assholes who agreed and particpated with my advocate discussion and yet still slurping the bowl of sharks' fin soup. KILLERS! STOP EATING THE BLOODY SHARK FIN NOW!

Why shark conservation? Source: Ocean Conservancy

1. Sharks aren't so fierce
Sharks are in deep trouble. Like many other ocean fish, we're taking too many out of the ocean. Although they seem tough, sharks are among the most vulnerable animals in our oceans. Most species grow very slowly and have few young. Their populations cannot take much fishing before they start to decline. In fact, many shark species are now considered threatened with extinction. Several populations have dropped by 80% or more; some need 100 years or more to rebuild to healthy levels.

2. Sharks are important
Most sharks are at the top of the food chain. They prey on weak and wounded animals and keep the other populations healthy and in check. Scientists warn that losing too many sharks will disrupt the balance of life in the oceans, causing problems for other species and probably ourselves.

3. Sharks are in demand
Interest in sharks for food and sport is growing. Shark meat, such as that from the dogfish shark, is popular is some countries, but not as valuable as cod or tuna. The priciest parts of most sharks are their fins, used to make a traditional Asian delicacy known as shark fin soup. The high price of fins together with the lower value meat too often leads to “finning” the act of cutting of a shark's fins and tossing the rest of the body away at sea. Shark finning has been banned in many oceans, but rules need to be stronger to make sure it is stopped for good.

4. Sharks are under-protected
Although their fins are worth a lot of money, sharks are still not the favorite catch of most fishermen. Many people still fear sharks; they aren't convinced we need to protect them at all. That adds up to sharks rarely getting as much attention as other fish by the people setting fishing rules. Too often, shark catch limits are set too high and come too late to avoid damage to the population. The U.S. is proposing measures to allow overfished shark populations in the Atlantic to recover. There are still no limits on the amount of sharks taken from international waters (outside 200 miles from shore), even though many shark species swim far out into the ocean.

Reports on sharks from Wildaid:


8 Steps to a Bowl of Shark Fin Soup

The End of the Line

Shark Finning

BEFORE YOUR MOUTH AND HANDS CONTINUES TO BE STAINED BY MORE BLOOD, STOP THE ACT NOW!!

Touch My Body

itunes: Touch My Body, Mariah Carey (2008)

Mariah has done it again! This song is almost an anthem to me this period, simply cant get it out of my head. It's fun, cute, sexy and sweet: "If there's a camera up in here Then it's gonna leave with me When I do, If there's a camera up in here Then I'd best not catch this flick On YouTube"

World Autism Awareness Day

itunes: 19, Adele (2008)

Today is World Autism Awareness Day.
Before I move on, ask yourself, how much you know about Autism? Or should I ask, how much wrong perception you have about Autism?

My good friend WP has an autistic boy. She quitted her job and became a stay-at-home mum full time taking care of her kid. She did extensive research on autism, put him on an organic diet, and devised a programme to stimulate the senses of the kid, so as to improve his condition. WP resorted to these holistic methods because all the doctors here in Singapore that she has visited, felt that her boy's condition is severe than most autistic kids, hence is beyond cure. WP reckoned, as a mum, she will do anything to help this poor kid, or at least he will be able to take care of himself when he grows up and his parents pass on. The boy is already 5 and his progress is slow. WP said when other normal kids run 10 steps, her boy moves only 1. She is pleased, at least right now, the boy responds to her call more frequently than before. Autistic kids often throw tantrum and become violent because they are not understood and they are unable to communicate their wants and needs. WP is concerned, at least right now, she still have the strength to pin her kid down during outburst like this. By the time when the boy grows older, she will not be able to pin him down anymore. This is where most of severe autistic kids ended up when they grow up, Institute of Mental Health (IMH), where they are kept within in an enclosed area like other mental patients. Yes, it's sad, mainly Autism in Singapore has not been viewed seriously as a disability because the system here generally regard it is not economically viable to put resources to sustain such patients. She just do not want her boy to end up in IMH for the rest of his life.

WP shared with me a story of an autistic teenager from the school her boy attends. There was once the teenage did something wrong at home and his father scolded him for the misdeed. Nobody noticed something amiss with him until a few days later, they noticed him walking around the house with a fork on his hand. This is something completely out of the 'routine' he used to be, but still they are not bothered with it. However, gradually they saw the same trend happened whenever the teenage was scolded for any misdeed. In the end, they threw away all the sharp objects in the house, particular knives in the kitchen. The mother does not do cutting anymore when she cooks for the family. Same here, they still hope that they do not have to send their kid to IMH one day.

I came across this good book, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time written by Mark Haddon and I strongly recommend everyone to read this book, to have a glimpse a detail insight of how an autistic kid think. Rest assured, this 220 page book is a fast read, told with a surprisingly light-hearted, even humorous touch, and the plot carries several entertaining surprises. I passed mine to WP and told her to pass it on to other people, so that it can help to change the negative mindset on autistic people. WP and her husband both agree with me that this book gave a true and detail account of the thought process of autistic kids. Hopefully, it can bring awareness to many and with more understanding and recognition, comes more and better help to this disability.