SharkAid Singapore 2012 & Interesting Facts About Sharks

16 May 2012, Singapore – Earlier this month, celebrities, artists and conservationists from Shark Savers Singapore and ACRES got together to raise awareness about sharks and the negative impact of shark’s fin soup at SharkAid Singapore 2012. Singaporeans are encourage to pledge ‘I’m FINished’ with the consumption of shark fin.

Shark Savers Singapore Ambassador Hossan Leong and artistes including Sylvia Ratonel, Eli T, Tessera and Darryl Yong were at the mini concert at Cathay Cineleisure on 1 May 2012 were present to lend their voice for the cause.

Singapore is one of the highest per-capita consumers of shark’s fin soup.

SingTel has joined NTUC FairPrice and Cold Storage to officially say ‘I’m FINished’ to all shark fin products. SingTel is offering award-winning documentary called SHARKWATER for anytime on-demand viewing to all mio TV customers for free till 14 July.

Facts About Sharks

• Up to 73 million sharks are killed by humans for their fins as compared to the average of five people have been killed by sharks annually.
• Singapore ranks the second largest sharks fin trading country in the world after Hong Kong.
• Shark fins are tasteless. The taste from the shark’s fin soup comes from the broth which is usually made from chicken stock, cured ham, abalone, scallops and other condiments.
• Sharks fin soup is not healthy. The meat and fins have been found to contain heavy metals like mercury and neurotoxins which are linked to brain degenerative diseases.
• Sharks have a long gestation period of five to 24 months. Sharks reproductive age start from around 10 to 15 years old.
• Sharks usually give birth to two to five pups each time. They do not spawn like other fish species.
• Some shark species take breaks between pregnancies, having pups every other year or once every three years.
• Sharks cannot be farmed.
• Fins of sharks are usually sliced off with a hot blade before their live bodies are thrown back into the ocean where they are eaten by other fishes, drowns or bleeds to death.
• Sharks have been around for 450 million years and survived all of the five major mass extinction “dooms day” scenarios, including the one that wiped out dinosaurs.
• Humans are not food to sharks. Seals and fishes are.
• A single live shark in a healthy habitat like the Bahamas is worth as much as US$200,000 in tourism revenue over its lifetime and as little as US$50 dead.
• Fishermen get 0.1% of what the fins are finally sold for. The main profiteers of the shark fin trade are the traders and restaurants.
• As apex predators, sharks play an important role in the marine ecosystem, keeping the population of fish species healthy and ensure that coral reefs are vibrant and liveable for all marine creatures in the habitat.
• The largest shark is the spotted whale shark which may reach to a length of 18 metres and feeds on tiny plankton.

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Adrian Eugene Seet, editor of SUPERADRIANME.com, has long shared his passion for travel, destinations, and air travel. His childhood love for exploration has evolved into a thriving career, with his engaging content inspiring others to discover new cultures. Taiwan is his new-found favourite destination, and he dreams of visiting the Andes. Adrian's work is driven by his curiosity for travel trends and a commitment to lifelong learning.

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