Dazza Pictures

We continue from our interview with Sharkman (do check that article out), to talk about SharkWater – the film that was Jaki’s impetus for shark preservation – and with the low down on some shark facts, shark finning and the shark poaching industry.

SharkWater is an award-winning documentary produced, written and directed by Rob Stewart. The film debunks many of the fears and misconceptions the media machine has brainwashed us with. And traces the journey that Stewart makes with renegade conservationist Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, on an adventure that exposes the truth behind shark-finning, with the corruption involved for that tiny bowl of soup at our Chinese dinners.

Sharkwater trailer

I would like to encourage you to watch the film if you care at all, about what you put into your mouth, if you care at all about what happens in our oceans and if you care at all about what fellow Asians are doing for Shark fin. SharkWater is available on Blu-ray, DVD and where ever you can find it ;-)

Thoughts about the film

Here are some of my self-indulgent thoughts about the film if you care.
There were many ‘cringe’ moments and shots of the slaughter of sea creatures which made me look away. The cruelty of watching my fellow human being, gouge the eyes of a turtle, clubbing seals, hack the fins off a shark and toss the still alive body back into the ocean, and to watch blood drain away from a whale was too much.

There were moments that disgusted me, moments that made me feel shameful and embarrassed as an ABC (Asian Born Chinese) – a Singaporean company is featured in the film for all the wrong reasons. The MD of the said company is filmed with such arrogance on how vicious sharks are – “See the teeth! Like a saw!… They bite you…pain until die.” – and ignorance of how one can prevent cancer and rheumatism by eating shark’s fin. And it horrified me that we Asians, me in part, am responsible for the slaughter and driving the need for the corruption that is involved, which includes paying off officials in Guatamala (where finning is illegal) by Asian syndicates.

But I also felt a sense of redemption when an Asian couple, whom I can only guess is from South-East Asia from their accent, declared how they would not be serving Shark fin at their wedding dinner.

Shark Facts

Now let’s get a few Shark facts straight.

• Sharks DO NOT EAT humans. Sure we’ve been mistaken as seals and shark attacks have occurred, but they spit humans right out. On the flip-side, bears and lions see us humans as the next lunch item. Really? Try tempting a lion on the plains of Africa.
• Imagine being kidnapped, getting your limbs cut off and tossed back in-front of your door step. And since you’re still alive, you struggle to get into the house or to even call for help. Now that is what shark-finning does, sharks are still alive when they’re tossed back into the ocean. And it occurs at sea because then the boats only need to transport the fins and shark meat is considered low value and too costly to ship.
• Shark fin is tasteless. That shark fin soup gets its flavor from pork and chicken broth and that vinegar you douse it in.
• There ARE NO HEALTH BENEFITS from eating shark fin – it doesn’t prevent cancer nor does it help with rheumatism. Your 3rd uncle from that chinese medicinal store, is in fact encouraging you to poison yourself. With all the mercury we have polluted our seas with, you’re more likely to be killing your relatives.
• 100 million sharks are killed a year, 63 million for their fins alone.
• The Great White Shark is now an endangered species.

Get some more shark facts on the SharkWater webite or at Lovesharks.sg

I care because…

Every year, 100 million sharks are killed and it is estimated that the population has declined by as much as 90%. This declining population of sharks has severe repercussions for all living things on earth. Sharks are at top of the marine food chain and with less of them policing the other marine populations, indirectly affects the ENTIRE eco-system, which creates all sorts of inconceivable effects that even include global warming.

I care because, I would not be able to live with myself if I know I am poisoning my loved ones by feeding them shark’s fin soup. Mercury levels in our oceans have increased from our rape of the land by pollution and fish such as sharks have a much higher level of mercury than other commonly consumed fish. Would you care, if you knew you’re feeding mercury to an unborn child in a mother’s womb?

Now I promised that I had a plan to affect change. When this idea first started, I didn’t realise how much there was to write about shark fin and how embarrassed and disgusted I would feel from learning more. And since this post has gone on to include a lot more than I anticipated at first I will postpone my plan to affect change til the next post.

PS: In the time it has taken you to read this post, nearly 3,000 sharks have died from poaching.