Right, now I’m not really one for social activism, but I have a problem with insecure men with erectile dysfunction killing everything to “get it up”.

I’m sure you, like me, despise those who kill rhinos simply to get at the horn, to help the horns of insecure men with erectile dysfunction. I mean what is it with these insecure men with erectile dysfunction anyway? Are they determined to kill everything? Someone should tell these people that it’s the 21st century and Viagra works far better than rhino horn and doesn’t guarantee you a one-way ticket to hell for taking it.

Now I hear, via a friend, that Rhinos aren’t the only victims of fatal appendage theft. Certain portions of humanity is determined to hack every shark in the world’s fins off. Once hacked off, the fins are made into soup and the body of the shark is thrown back into the ocean.

At the very least you’d expect the soup to be a delicious taste experience, but apparently it’s all gluey and, as shark’s fin is tasteless, they have to add chicken or pork for flavour, how charming.

Here are some finning facts:

• Hong Kong is the world’s shark fin trading centre, accounting for 50-80% of fins traded worldwide. Currently the EU supplies 27% of all fins imported into Hong Kong.
• A shark’s life history makes it vulnerable to exploitation – for example, Basking Sharks take 15-20 years to mature, have a 2-3 year gestation period and produce only 4–6 pups.
• Wet fins typically represent < 5% of a shark’s body weight.
• Some Atlantic shark populations have declined by up to 90% in the last 15 years.
• Sets of fins can sell for more than US$700/kg, with Hammerhead Shark fins among the most valuable by weight.
• A single Whale Shark pectoral fin can sell for up to US$15,000.
• Global trade in shark fins is increasing, and the market for shark fin soup is estimated to be growing by 5% per year.
• A third of European sharks, and a total of 126 species of chondrichthyan fish are listed under a threat category on the IUCN Red List, with a further 107 species Near Threatened.

Closer to home, there is now a campaign to save the Great Whites and other species around Dyer Island in the Western Cape. According to the Save Bantamsklip campaign there is a 10 000 Mega Watt nuclear power plant planned at Bantamsklip, a mere 7km from Dyer island and apparently this could impact heavily on the Sharks . If you want to add your name to the campaign to save this valuable marine habitat and its sharks you should e-mail your name to info@savebantamsklip.org.

There I’ve said my peace on the subject and you might also like to.

[Thanks David]

[Source : The Shark Trust, Save Bantamsklip]