A conservation group has turned to a traditional form of art to combat a less-than-beautiful tradition. WildAid’s new public information campaign, which uses traditional Chinese cartoons, seeks to reduce shark fin consumption in mainland China.
The campaign, which includes subway murals, billboards and online interactive animation, is running in Guangzhou, Guangdong, Fujian, and Guangxi provinces, where wedding banquets commonly include shark fin soup.
“Even though shark fin consumption is falling around China, it’s still a staple dish at wedding banquets throughout the Cantonese-speaking regions of southern China,” said Steve Blake, China Chief Representative at WildAid. “Instead of starting a married life with an unsustainable dish that furthers a legacy of environmental destruction, couples have the opportunity to offer traditional alternatives that reflect good fortune.”
Vulnerable shark species face extreme population pressures due to overfishing. Around 100 million sharks are unsustainably killed each year, with fins from up to 73 million of those used for shark fin soup. According to a recent study published in Marine Policy, the global shark catch has more than doubled to 1.4 million tonnes in the last six decades, threatening almost 60 percent of shark species.
Thanks to years-long public awareness campaigns, demand for shark fin in China is trending downwards. Government statistics reveal an 80% reduction in shark fin consumption as well as 81% declines in the country’s shark fin imports and sales in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou between 2010 and 2014. Unfortunately, though, the decline in demand for fins in China is offset by expanding and emerging markets outside of the mainland, including in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand.
