MAKE BLUE THE NEW GREEN (A Plea For Ocean Conservation)

Note: I do not own the copyright of this image

The above is the lifeless carcass of a shark lying amongst the coral reefs it used to lord over.

This shark did not die of old age. It did not die of disease.

It died due to suffocation, from being deprived of the use of its fins.

It died because we continually refuse to acknowledge the ugly facts behind shark fin soup, a prized delicacy especially among the world's Chinese population.

Many of us know how the fining process works. The sharks' fins are mutilated by a hot metal blade. The fin-less sharks are then released back to the ocean, their fates sealed as they struggle to extract oxygen from the water, a task now impossible since they are no longer mobile, no longer able to swim without their fins.



Fins harvested for human consumption



We know that the fin itself is tasteless since it is just cartilage, and the soup's flavor is derived from the other ingredients.

We know that it has no proven medicinal benefits,

We know, and yet, words are so easily ignored and forgotten. That is why I started this post with a photo that I hope will leave an indelible and lasting bad taste on your tongue, an imagery that will make you pause the next time you are about to consume a spoonful of the the soup.

WildAid Organisation sums it up succinctly.

WHEN THE BUYING STOPS, THE KILLING CAN TOO.

Even if you are the only one, in a table of ten, who refuses to consume the soup, your actions will have made a difference. If you are in a position to decide what a thousand people eat in one night, please do consider the impact of your menu on the environment. If you are an elected official wielding policy making powers, do re-look at the legislation and economics behind the fishing industry to promote and guarantee sustainability.

If you are intrigued enough about the preservation of sharks and the ocean, please check out the book "Oceana" by Ted Danson and Michael D'Orso. It costs RM 119.00 at your local bookstores like Borders and MPH, and argues convincingly that while we may not be at the point of no return in terms of saving our oceans,  we are getting dangerously close to it. If you cannot afford to purchase the books, please at least spend some time reading the browsing copy that most bookstores have. You can also learn more from Oceana's website http://na.oceana.org/



Buy this, or read it for free at Borders

 If reading is not your thing, consider watching the following documentary.

A beautifully filmed  documentary

It's a film which opened up the eyes of many towards the cruel reality behind animals kept in captivity and forced to perform tricks to the delight of human beings, and for enriching the few enterprises that runs these shows.

By gaining such knowledge of the cruelty in a small town of Japan called Taiji, you would have already done a small part in the prevention of dolphin slaughtering. If you wish to do more, please visit http://www.thecovemovie.com/ or http://www.takepart.com/thecove.

I promise, you will be glad you did.

Let's not repeat the mistakes of those who have came before us. As our generation inherit the earth, do not forget the childhood ambitions that we used to have of saving the world and working for causes that actually matters. We are making great strides in living a green life. Let's start by adding some blue in it as well.