Sharks closer to extinction due to finning

Fishmongers claim they are receiving lower supplies of cartilaginous fish

OLIVIA MIWIL
KOTA KINABALU
olivia@nst.com.my

SHARKS off Sabah coasts are in danger of extinction as finning activities cannot be rooted out, the Sabah Shark Protection Association said. 

Its chairman, Aderick Chong, said the shrinking shark population was based on feedback from fishmongers that they had been receiving lower supply of the cartilaginous fish than before. 

He also said the size of sharks that fishmongers had received from suppliers was getting smaller than those caught several years ago. 

"During my recent visit to Kudat market, I had seen finned sharks being sold openly. 

"In fact, it is happening in many other places, including here,"Chong said. 

The state government has announced the plan ti turn six marine parks-Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Turtle islands park, Tun sakaran Marine Park, Sipadan island park and Tun Mustapha Park- covering a total area of over one million hectares-as shark sanctuaries. 

After the amendments to the Sabah Parks Enactment are made, the state is set to ban shark finning, including finning activities at the marine parks. 

Chong said the sanctuaries and ban augured well for the protection of the species, but it remained difficult to prove if the sharks, which had been caught by fishermen, were from the protected areas. 

"The difficult part is when the sharks were finned before they were brought to markets. 

"In this instance, consumers are still gettin their supply shark fins," he said. 

He also said the introduction of empurou fish last year as alternative to shark fin was not well received by restaurateurs. 

Despite tasting better and being equally expensive, he said they insisted that shark fins were superior. 

Chong said stricter regulations would ultimately reduce shark fin consumption. 

He added that stricter law enforcement, clearer policies and holding public awareness about the  problem should be done to prevent sharks from going extinct. 

For the past few years, he said the association had taken steps to prevent shark fishing and finning as the species was a significant part of the ecosystem and tourism industry. 

Among them were the "no Shark Fin Soup" pledge campaign, and the introduction of empurau fish as alternative to shark fins. 



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