CHINA: BASKETBALL: China's NBA superstar Yao Ming calls on his countrymen to stop eating shark fin soup and to protect endangered animal species

Chinese NBA superstar Yao Ming on Wednesday (August 2) called on his compatriots to stop eating shark fin soup and to protect highly endangered animal species China is the key to saving the world's sharks, Yao Ming said, launching a campaign with animal conservation group WildAid to convince the country's increasingly affluent consumers to turn their backs on eating shark fin. Shark fins represent approximately only 5% of the shark's body weight. "I would like to take this opportunity to declare, from this day on, I pledge to stop eating shark fin soup, and will not do so under any circumstances. For the sake of our future, please join us in protecting endangered wildlife. As we progress as a nation and society becomes more driven by money and the increased desire to quench our taste buds, we should take a step back and reflect," Yao said. Wealthy Chinese who serve up exotic animals at dinner parties and banquets are being targeted by conservationists hoping to use the 2008 Olympics to drive their message home. Shark fin soup can cost up to US$100 dollars in Hong Kong restaurants. "Sharks are being taken, increasingly targeted just for their fins, and that is to provide for shark fin market here in China for shark-fin soup.What we are seeing is as increasing wealth and income comes to Chinese consumers, they are spending it on luxury goods like shark-fin soup and that means there is a pressure now that is no more sustainable on this species in the wild", said Steve Trent, the President of WildAid. A long Chinese tradition is behind wildlife trade in China, with many of the rich serving endangered animals at banquets and business dinners to show off their social status. Shark's fin soup, bear's paw, camel's hump and monkey's brain are among delicacies served at banquets in China, while traditional Chinese medicine also makes use of these endangered species. "There are whole range of different species that we can look at that may or may not be coming to China. we know three are at least 15,500 species that are threaten with extinction. We know that one in eight of all bird species, one in four of all amphibians are threaten with extinction, and many of these are coming here," Trent said. In recent years shark numbers have fallen drastically, threatening the existence of some species, and while exact scientific data is lacking, figures show imports of shark fin rocketing in China. An estimated 10,000 tonnes of shark fins are traded around the world every year with mainland China being the largest importer. The problem has global implications, with fishermen as far away as Ecuador's Galapagos islands catching shark specifically for the Chinese market. At the event, WildAid unveiled a series of television advertisements featuring basketball star Yao Ming and Chinese Olympic gold medal gymnast Li Ning to spread the conservation message.

ITN Source | August 3, 2006

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