{"id":28447,"date":"2012-05-01T20:27:41","date_gmt":"2012-05-01T12:27:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techielobang.com\/blog\/?p=28447"},"modified":"2012-05-01T20:27:41","modified_gmt":"2012-05-01T12:27:41","slug":"celebrities-pledge-im-finished-with-shark-fin-at-sharkaid-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techielobang.com\/blog\/2012\/05\/01\/celebrities-pledge-im-finished-with-shark-fin-at-sharkaid-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrities pledge \u201cI\u2019m FINished\u201d with Shark Fin at SharkAid 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, celebrities and fans braved the rain in pledging \u201cI\u2019m FINished\u201d with shark fin at SharkAid 2012. The free concert, the first in a series of free concerts to be held around the world, saw local and international artistes including Sylvia Ratonel, Eli T, Tessera and Darryl Yong making a public pledge to stop consuming shark fin. More information after the break.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Hossan Leong, ambassador of Sharks Savers Singapore performing the opening act of SharkAid 2012<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Before the Press Release, here is some trivia about sharks.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Each year, humans kill up to 73 million sharks for their fins but only an average of five people have been killed by sharks each year.<\/li>\n
  2. Singapore is a major trading hub for the global shark fin trade. It currently ranks as the second largest fin trading country in the world. Hong Kong is number one.<\/li>\n
  3. Shark fins have no taste. The taste from shark\u2019s fin soup comes from the rich broth, usually made from chicken stock, cured ham, abalone, scallops and other condiments.<\/li>\n
  4. Shark\u2019s fin soup is not healthy. Shark meat and fins have been found to contain heavy metals like mercury and neurotoxins which are linked to brain degenerative diseases.<\/li>\n
  5. In addition to long gestation (five to 24 months) periods, most sharks do not reach reproductive age until they are 10-15 years old.<\/li>\n
  6. Unlike other fish species, sharks do not spawn in the millions, each live birth normally results in two to five pups.<\/li>\n
  7. Some shark species take breaks between pregnancies. They have pups every other year or once every 3 years.<\/li>\n
  8. Unlike most of the meat that we consume, sharks cannot be farmed. Currently, all shark fins consumed at restaurants and banquets come straight from the wild.<\/li>\n
  9. The fins of sharks are normally sliced off with a hot blade before their live bodies are dumped back into the ocean where it gets eaten by other fishes, drowns or bleeds to death.<\/li>\n
  10. Sharks have existed for 450 million years and survived all of the 5 major mass extinction \u201cdooms day\u201d scenarios, including the one that wiped out dinosaurs.<\/li>\n
  11. Humans aren\u2019t food to sharks. Seals and fishes are.<\/li>\n
  12. A single live shark in a healthy habitat like the Bahamas, is worth as much as USD200,000 in tourism revenue over its lifetime and as little as USD50 dead.<\/li>\n
  13. Fishermen get only 0.1% of what the fins are finally sold for; the main profiteers of the shark fin trade are the traders and restaurants.<\/li>\n
  14. As apex predators, sharks play a very important role in the marine ecosystem. They help to keep the population of fish species healthy and ensure that coral reefs are vibrant and liveable for all marine creatures in the habitat. A beautiful and healthy marine life attracts divers all over the world which in turn helps to draw eco-tourism dollars.<\/li>\n
  15. The largest shark is the beautiful spotted whale shark which may reach to a length of 18 meters. It feeds on tiny plankton.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Press Release<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n