Manta rays next on restaurant menus as shark populations plummet
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- jefftego
- added this
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more from News:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6345512.ece
Conservationists fear a falling shark population is prompting Asian chefs to look for manta and devil rays to help meet the voracious demand for shark fin soup.Found in coastal waters throughout the world, rays present an easy target as they swim slowly near the surface with their huge wings. So far, they have escaped commercial exploitation and have been hunted only by small numbers of subsistence fishermen, who traditionally catch them using harpoons.
“Mantas and mobulas are being used as shark fin soup filler,” said Tim Clark, a marine biologist at the University of Hawaii. He said the cartilage was being mixed with low-grade shark fins in cheap versions of the soup. “The life history of manta rays makes them highly susceptible to overfishing,” he added.
With a life span thought to be well over 50 years, the fish reach sexual maturity only in their teens, at which time they produce one pup every one to three years.
The market for shark fin soup is growing at about 5 per cent a year, while shark populations are crashing: 80 per cent of Atlantic sharks have been lost in the past 15 years, according to the trust. Britain is one of only five EU member states that still allows the removal of shark fins at sea. More than 80 tonnes of fins are landed in Britain every year.
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- tags:
- News, Green, Overfishing, wildlife conservation, 5 more
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SPECIALIST
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i might just boycott all japanese restaurants because of this. i like manta rays.
what a bunch of morons - shark fin soup - give me a break. do they believe in leprechauns too?
- 9 months ago
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SPECIALIST
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B3rt
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I wonder if they taste similar. i think squid should be the replacement, those things are taking over.
- 9 months ago
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B3rt
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vistapoint
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that reminds me when chefs in New Orleans were threatening to make gourmet dishes out of Nutria, (giant swamp rats). I don't think that ever really caught on though...
- 9 months ago
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vistapoint
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leahl
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vistapoint:
Awesome picture. Ya know...this makes me remember a case study done by spitfire marketing agency about how there was a fish (pardon me: I don't remember which one) that was unknown and not particularly good looking. It was being over fished, and didn't have what it took to grab the attention of the average joe. They took an approach of going through the chef's and getting them to speak out against the overfishing, realizing that in that situation, they had the most influence.
- 9 months ago
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leahl
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leahl
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Just came across this video of manta's swimming with people. It will be interesting to track if their positive "relationship" with people will create a strong outcry, whereas shark's negative PR was less than helpful.
- 9 months ago
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leahl
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jefftego
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leahl:
Interesting point. Ray's definitely don't carry the stigma of sharks.
- 9 months ago
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jefftego
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vistapoint
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leahl:
great video, and great point.
- 9 months ago
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vistapoint
