Shark fins less popular with Chinese diners

A shark's fins are cut off. [File photo]

Supplies and prices of shark fins in China are plummeting, WildAid, a non-governmental organization (NGO) focusing on ending the illegal wildlife trade, reported recently.

In the past two years, imports of shark fins in Hong Kong almost halved, while the supply in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, slumped by 82 percent. The shrinking markets also affected prices. In Guangzhou, retail prices of shark fins fell by 47 percent over the past two years, while wholesale prices dropped by 57 percent.

According to the WildAid survey, 85 percent of Chinese revealed they had not ordered shark fins in the past three years, while 28.2 percent of respondents attributed the declining demand to the central government's ban on official luxury spending.

Prices of shark fins from the fishermen in Indonesia, one of the largest shark fin export countries, have dropped by 80 percent since 2007.

"The shark fin business is on the brink of extinction," said a wholesaler in Guangzhou. In the retail market, the prices of fins from medium sized sharks halved from the previous US$642 per kilogram, the highest price when the business was in its heyday.

"No trading, no killing," Chinese retired NBA star Yao Ming campaigned in WildAid's public service advertising, calling for people to refuse shark fins at the dinner table.

Peter Knights, executive director and founder of WildAid, said the report is strong evidence that awareness of shark protection has been growing as people realize the damage caused by eating shark fins. "We have made big progress," he said.