Singapore casino stops serving shark fin

Yahoo – AFP, 12 June 2014

The US-owned Marina Bay Sands casino in Singapore, shown here in 2013, 

has is to stop serving shark fin at its restaurants, the latest boycott of the 

contentious delicacy welcomed by animal rights activists. (Photo: Roslan Rahman)

The US-owned Marina Bay Sands casino in Singapore has announced it will stop serving shark fin at its restaurants, the latest boycott of the contentious delicacy welcomed Thursday by animal rights activists.

The casino, part of Las Vegas gaming magnate Sheldon Adelson's portfolio, said the removal of shark fin dishes from its menus is a "bold testament to our commitment to reducing our environmental impact".

Its huge expo and convention centre, which held over 70 trade shows last year, will also cease serving the dish.

The casino is the latest among a string of Singapore-based companies to boycott shark fin consumption following years of lobbying by animal rights activists.

Singapore is the world's second largest shark fin trading territory after Hong Kong, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

Shark fin is seen by many east Asians as a delicacy and is often served as soup at expensive Chinese banquets.

More than 70 million sharks are killed worldwide every year, with a majority of fins consumed in Chinese markets, according to environmental group WWF.

Jennifer Lee, founder of Project Fin, a local group campaigning against shark fin consumption, said the casino's decision is another milestone for animal rights activists.

"Hopefully this will put pressure on other companies to jump on the bandwagon as well to do their part to save our marine ecosystem," she told AFP.

Elaine Tan, chief executive of WWF Singapore, commended the casino for its "foresight and leadership in corporate sustainability".

"Sharks are a crucial part of marine ecosystems and their populations have a direct impact on fish stocks, which in turn affects many things, including our food security in the future," she said.

Singapore's largest supermarket chains stopped sales of shark fin products in 2012, while major hotels, including Shangri-La and Swissotel the Stamford, have also stopped serving them.

Singapore's other casino operated by Malaysia's Genting Group does not serve shark fin, according to its website.

Hong Kong's government last year said it would stop serving shark fin at official functions to set a "good example".

Related Articles:

Indonesia, India named as biggest shark catchers

New Zealand to ban shark finning

EU tightens ban on shark finning

China Bans Shark Fin Soup From Official Receptions

Hong Kong Bans Shark Fin at Official Banquets

Philippine Airlines Quits Flying Shark Fins Amid Outcry

Garuda Bans Shark Fin Transport on Flights: WWF-Indonesia

Fiji's Air Pacific bans 'unsustainable' shark fins
Korean Air Joins Cathay Pacific in Curbing Shark Fin Transport

New Zealand to ban shark finning

Google – AFP, 10 November 2013

A worker packs shark fins with salt in Kesennuma city, Japan, on March 12,

2013 (AFP/File, Toshifumi Kitamura)

Wellington — New Zealand is to ban shark finning in its waters within two years, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy announced Sunday.

It is already illegal in New Zealand to slice the fin off a shark and throw it back alive, and Guy said the new ban would be extended to finning a shark and dumping the carcass at sea.

It will start to take effect in some areas next October and cover all New Zealand waters by 2016.

"The practise of finning sharks is inconsistent with New Zealand's reputation as one of the best managed and conserved fisheries in the world," he said.

Conservation Minister Nick Smith said New Zealand's attitude to sharks "has come a long way since the 'Jaws' days of the only good shark being a dead shark".

"This ban on finning is an important step towards improving shark conservation," he added.

New Zealand has 113 species of sharks of which seven are already protected including great whites, the whale shark and the basking shark.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, shark stocks are being decimated with about 100 million killed globally each year, mostly for their fins which are a sought after delicacy in Asia.

They are used in the lucrative shark fin soup market as well as in the production of many traditional medicines.

Edible algae -- coming to a rooftop near you?

Google – AFP, William Davies (AFP), 27 August 2013

A woman prepares a spirulina shake in Bangkok on June 24, 2013

(AFP/File, Nicolas Asfouri)

BANGKOK — On a hotel rooftop in Bangkok, dozens of barrels of green liquid bubble under the sun -- the latest innovation in urban farming.

Proponents of the edible algae known as spirulina say it could help provide a sustainable source of protein as an alternative to meat.

Three times a week, Patsakorn Thaveeuchukorn harvests the green algae in the barrels.

"The algae is growing so fast, normally the doubling time is around 24 hours," said Patsakorn, whose employer EnerGaia uses Bangkok's rooftops to grow spirulina.

With its high levels of protein and nutrients, "it is beneficial to food security," he told AFP.

A worker checks a spirulina farm on the

 top of a hotel in Bangkok on June 24, 

2013 (AFP/File, Nicolas Asfouri)

"If you compare it to meat it will take six months to grow a kilogram of beef, but this we can grow in a week," said Patsakorn.

Spirulina has been described by health food experts as a super-food, and it is becoming more popular worldwide.

Rosa Rolle from the UN's food and agriculture organisation (FAO) says it has been an important food source for centuries.

"It grows naturally in Lake Texcoco in Mexico. It was eaten by the Incas," she told AFP. "It's in many countries that border Lake Chad in West Africa and is a protein source for a lot of people."

However she warns that it can lead to health problems for people suffering from gout, as it produces a lot of uric acid, and says people need to be educated about spirulina's positive and negative effects before they consume it.

"You need some nutritional information, but for people without medical conditions it would be fine," she said.

The empty space on top of Bangkok's many skyscrapers provide suitable growing conditions for spirulina as the constant high temperatures and sunlight are ideal breeding conditions.

Fresh spirulina is pictured at a spirulina

 farm on the top of a hotel in Bangkok on

June 24, 2013 (AFP/File, Nicolas Asfouri)

The algae also helps combat carbon dioxide levels through photosynthesis, its champions say, and growing it in cities means it can reach consumers the same day it is harvested.

Once the spirulina algae has been collected, it is hand rinsed and spun dry in a modified washing machine.

It then has to be hand pressed into jars, as there is no machine yet available that can work with the thick, jelly like substance it produces.

"There has been a lot of trial and error," Derek Blitz, technology director at EnerGaia, told AFP.

"It is great for vegetarians and vegans. It's also packed with anti-oxidants. It is really good for cleansing your body."

In their laboratory, lines of different sized test tubes all connected to one another act as the breeding ground for the algae. On the rooftop, barrels of different shapes are in testing, to see which will produce the highest yield.

The company says it is the only producer of fresh spirulina in the world; other companies only sell dried and processed varieties.

Jars of the algae have a shelf life of around three weeks from harvest, though Blitz plans to increase that so it can be exported abroad.

A spirulina laboratory is pictured in

Bangkok on June 24, 2013 (AFP/File,

Nicolas Asfouri)

"The advantages of having it fresh are that it has virtually no taste, so you can mix it with anything," he told AFP.

"Eating dried spirulina is like eating a cooked vegetable as opposed to a raw one, so you are getting a little bit more nutrition out of it (when fresh). The other reason to eat fresh produce is because there's a lot less energy involved in producing it."

And chefs across Bangkok are starting to experiment with the algae. Bill Marinelli, the owner of the Oyster Bar, is a convert.

"It is really good for you," he told AFP, in between mouthfuls of green pasta made with the algae. "We add it to dishes to increase the nutritional value."

The colour of the algae is so strong that anything it is mixed with instantly turns green. But despite that, and the fact it has no flavour, Bill is still keen to use it in his dishes.

"I'm looking at it as an alternative to animal protein. We can cut back on the amount of protein we serve as fish or meat, and incorporate spirulina for the additional protein source," he said.

Spirulina has been used as a food supplement for decades, and is popular among body builders. The question now is whether consumers will see it as a possible alternative to meat and fish.

Opponents fail to overturn shark-protection deal

Google – AFP, Daniel Rook (AFP), 14 March 2013 

A visitor takes pictures of a whitetip shark at an aquarium in California on

April 26, 2012 (AFP/File, Joe Klamar)

BANGKOK — Japan, China and other nations that support shark fishing lost a bid to overturn a landmark deal that offers global trade protection for several species of the ocean's oldest predator.

A decision to restrict exports in the oceanic whitetip shark, the porbeagle, three types of hammerheads and the manta ray won final approval by the 178-member Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

"This is an historic day for marine conservation," Glenn Sant of wildlife trade protection group Traffic said after the decision at a major wildlife conference in Bangkok.

"Sharks populations are in freefall, but have been thrown a lifeline today -- CITES has finally listened to the scientists."

Rather than a complete ban, countries will be required to regulate trade by issuing export permits to ensure the sharks' sustainability in the wild, otherwise they could face sanctions by members of CITES, a global treaty which protects some 35,000 species.

The United States hailed the agreement as a "historic moment in shark and ray conservation".

"The decline of these commercially exploited species is a global challenge that must be met with global solutions," said the head of the US delegation, Bryan Arroyo.

The move was agreed by member states on Monday but required final approval at the meeting's plenary session.

Opponents including Japan, China and India failed to garner enough support to challenge the earlier decision on the oceanic whitetip and the hammerheads.

Japan has a long history of shark fishing and its fishermen fear that moves to control the trade could hit an industry still recovering from the impact of a devastating tsunami that hit the country's northeast coast in March 2011.

Along with China, Japan argued that national and regional fishing bodies should be left to regulate shark exports. Each country supported different motions aimed at reopening the debate at CITES.

Hailing the meeting's refusal to heed their call, Susan Lieberman of The Pew Charitable Trusts described it as "the most significant day for the ocean in the 40-year history of CITES".

Endangered species (AFP Graphic)

The species now join the great white shark, the whale shark and the basking shark, which already enjoy international trade controls. Members have 18 months to introduce the new measures.

"This is a historic moment, where science has prevailed over politics, as sharks and manta rays are being obliterated from our oceans," said Carlos Drews of WWF.

"This decision will put a major dent in the uncontrolled trade in shark meat and fins, which is rapidly destroying populations of these precious animals to feed the growing demand for luxury goods."

Humans kill about 100 million sharks each year, mostly for their fins, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and conservationists are warning that dozens of species are under threat.

Ninety percent of the world's sharks have disappeared over the past 100 years, mostly because of overfishing in countries such as Indonesia, the FAO says.

Shark-fin soup was once a luxury enjoyed by China's elite, but shark populations have been decimated around the world as the country's 1.3 billion people have grown wealthier and incorporated it into their festivities.

While the Chinese government has banned shark-fin soup from state banquets, and some five-star hotels in Hong Kong and Singapore have dropped it from their menus, the burgeoning middle-class in China continues to stoke demand.

Related Articles:

Four Shark Species Win International Trade Protection

Shark Fin-Hungry China Drives ‘Chaotic’ Fishing in Indonesia

FAO rates RI as world`s fourth biggest shrimp producer

Antara News, Monday, November 22, 2010 15:43 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has placed Indonesia in fourth position on its list of shrimp producing countries in 2010 after China, Thailand and Vietnam, a fisheries ministry official said.

The ministry`s Chief of Statistic and Information bureau Soen`an H Poernomo said Indonesia was in fourth position after China was in the first position with a production 1.3 million tons, Thailand in second position with 560,000 tons and Vietnam in third position with 370,000 ons.

Marine and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad said last August 2010, the government had initially set the country`s shrimp production target for 2010 at 400,000 tons. But due to a disease that had infected shrimps, the figure had been revised downward to 350,000 tons.

The disease was still spreading in a number of shrimp producing regions such as Lampung, East Java and South Sulawesi.

To deal with diseases affecting shrimp and fish, the Marine and Fisheries Ministry was planning to build special shrimp and fish hospitals in Semarang, Central Java, and in Banten province at the end of 2010.

In 2008, Indonesia was able to produce 410,000 tons of shrimp making the country the third biggest shrimp producer in the world. Hence, the country`s shrimp exports in that year increased by 21 percent compered to 2007

During the past few years, Indonesia has been trying to increase its shrimp exports by entering new markets, namely in Russia, Saudi Arabia and Canada.

For 2014, the Marine and Fisheries Ministry`s shrimp production target was 699,000 tons.

Meanwhile, Secretary General of the People`s Coalition for Fishery Justice (KIARA), Riza Damani said the government must realize its shrimp pond revitalization program in an effort to boost shrimp production at home.

"The government must revitalize the program soon," he said.

He said that in Lampung there were at least 25,000 hectares of shrimp ponds which should be revitalized soon because their production at present was low. The revitalization was expected to increase farmers production.

The government was also urged to take stern actions against firms which had taken over traditional ponds in violation of existing regulations on the environment.

Bintan waters` rich fish resources motive behind recent incident

Antara News, Friday, August 27, 2010 04:51 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The rich fishery resources in Bintan Island waters are believed to be the motive behind the recent sea border incident with Malaysia in which three Indonesian fishery officers were arrested by the neigboring country`s police.

"The waters (around Bintan) are rich fishing grounds as two different currents, hot and cold, meet there. This condition enables production of phyto-planktons for fish to feed on," said Eddy Sudartanto, head of the Marine Resources and Fisheries Ministry`s Data, Statistics and Information bureau, said here Thursday.

Such a marine condition, he said, in fact was not only to be found on the Indonesian side of the border but also on the Malasyian side. He hinted that this condition may have encouraged foreign fishermen to intrude into Indonensian waters.

He was referring to the incident on August 13 when three Indonesian Marine and Fisheries patrolmen were arrested by Malaysian Marine Police inside Indonesian marine territory. They were caught when performing their duty in catching Malaysian fisherman deemed to have fished illegally.

According to data collected in 2010 by the ministry, a total of 112 foreign boats, including a number from Malaysia, were caught poaching in Indonesian waters up to last June.

Research conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2003 had found that there were large areas of shallow water around Bintan with the water level in many places at low tide only reaching a height of 1-5 meters providing excellent locations for fish traps and for development of fish farming using pens or for mollusk farming using off-bottom methods.

The water color observed was uniformly light green with low transparency with underwater visibility of 0.5-1.5 m indicating the existence of moderately high phytoplankton levels.

Bintan waters were also believed to be the habitat of expensive fish, including several species of groupers (kerapu) that include epinephelus and Plectropomus and four species of tauvina, malabaricus, maculatus and leopardus.

Related Article:

Respond to M`sian violations without damaging existing relations

Indonesia has potential as biggest fish exporter

Antara News, Wednesday, June 23, 2010 02:09 WIB

Banda Aceh, Aceh (ANTARA News) - Consultant of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Erik Hempel said Indonesia may be the world`s biggest fish exporting country.

"We know that Indonesia has big fish resources and therefore may have the potential to become the most fish exporter," Erik Hempel told a national workshop in Banda Aceh Tuesday.

Erik Hembel said the impost important key to become an exporter is the need to develop information and international trade regulations.

The per capita fish consumption in the world had been increasing and predicted that in 2010 the world fish production will reach 150 tons, so that the chance to become the biggest fish exporting country may be realized.

But several considerations need to be noted namely that fish need always to be fresh.

The fish imports and exports of the developing and developed countries are in a good balance.

It has been estimated that the biggest fish exporting country in 2007 is China with 11 percent, followed by Norway seven percent, and Thailand six percent, while Indonesia with only two percent in 2007, ranking only the 12th in the world`s fish exports.

In the meantime, the biggest fish importing country in the same year are the developed countries with 79 percent, the European Union with 43 percent, and the developing countries only 21 percent.

Illegal fishing agreement to push pirates out of ports

WWF, 27 November 2009

A new international agreement to better control vessels in the world’s ports will cut off access to global markets for pirate fishers.

Rome, Italy – A new international agreement to better control vessels in the world’s ports will cut off access to global markets for pirate fishers, responsible for fueling overfishing and the illegal seafood trade.

This week, states participating in the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) adopted an agreement on port control of vessels engaged in fishing and fish trade, which will greatly reduce illegal fishing.

The new Binding International Agreement on Port State Control Measures to Combat, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing (Port State Agreement) sets minimum standards for what every port state must do to prevent illegally caught fish from being offloaded and reaching global markets.

WWF applauds the FAO for ensuring that the Port State Agreement was successfully developed and adopted, and commends progressive member states such as Norway for encouraging the negotiation process for the past two years.

“The oceans are not a ‘free-for-all.’ This landmark agreement makes clear the responsibility of states to keep illegal fish from entering their ports;” said Miguel A. Jorge Director Marine Program at WWF International. “States serious about stamping out pirate fishing and preventing illegally caught seafood from reaching our dinner plates will sign on to this agreement quickly.”

The Port State Agreement was opened for signature on Nov. 23 during the FAO Annual Conference in Rome. Currently, 11 states including the European Union, Chile, Indonesia, Norway and the United States have signed the new treaty, an important first step to become a party to the agreement. In order to enter into force, 25 states need to become parties to the Port State Agreement.

Illegal fishing is one of the largest causes of overfishing and threatens the livelihoods of legitimate fishers and coastal communities. Current estimated value of financial losses because of illegal fishing worldwide is estimated at USD 10 billion to USD 23 billion annually.

IOTC drops plans to limit tuna fishing

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 04/06/2009 2:59 PM

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) concluded its 13th annual meeting last week with a deal to drop a plan limiting fishing capacity, following opposition from key member countries, including Indonesia.

Indonesian delegation head Suseno Sukoyono told The Jakarta Post on Sunday the commission had decided to review the plan as members from developing countries believed it would destroy their fishing in-dustries, saying limiting catches would give little room for the industry to grow.

Suseno also said Indonesia, whose fishing industry is comprises mostly traditional fishermen, opposed the plan because it would "endanger the livelihood" of the small businesses.

"It would be detrimental should the commission apply the policy; we would be severely affected," he said.

IOTC executive secretary Alexandro Anganuzzi said during the opening of the meeting that the commission would discuss the limitation of fishing capacity with its member countries.

He added the commission had been concerned with the fact that tuna feedstock in the region was being overfished.

However, as the meeting progressed, the plan, initiated by the European Union, was strongly opposed by other countries, including Australia, which is also worried about disruptions to its fishing industry.

Australia is the IOTC member with the biggest exposure in the Indian Ocean.

Other opposing countries included Oman, Mauritius and India.

Besides delaying the catch limit policy, the meeting also agreed to postpone a plan to limit fishing fleets, as data and proposal from member countries remained incomplete.

Suseno also said it had been agreed during the meeting to retain Anganuzzi as the commission's executive director for the next three years.

"It's our strategy to protect the interests of developing countries, as Anganuzzi represents the FAO *Food and Agricultural Organization*," he said.

The IOTC is an intergovernmental organization under the auspices of the FAO. It has 28 members, including Australia, the UK, Japan and the EU representing the interests of developed UN member states, while Indonesia, Iran and India are among those representing developing ones.

Previously, there was also a proposal to discuss the possibility of the IOTC being separated from the FAO.

However, the proposal was dropped due to opposition from developing countries, Suseno said.

Indonesian representative Nilanto Prabowo said a separation from the FAO might lead to increased control of the organization by developed nations.

The IOTC manages tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean and adjoining seas, with the main objective of promoting both cooperation among members and the sustainability of tuna resources.

Indonesia is the 27th member of the IOTC.

According to the commission, the region produces more than 1 million tons of tuna annually, worth between US$3 billion and $5 billion.

RI against IOTC plan to separate from FAO

Ika Krismantari, THE JAKARTA POST, BALI | Wed, 04/01/2009 12:10 PM

Indonesia is against a plan from the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) to separate from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN.

Indonesia’s representative at the 13th annual meeting of the IOTC currently underway in Bali, Nilanto Prabowo, said the organization’s status should remain as it is, which is under the auspices of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), since separation might lead to increased control of the organization by the bigger developed nations.

“We have the interest to retain IOTC’s position under FAO, as the UN organization cares about the existence of the developing countries in the commission,” he said.

IOTC was established in 1996 as an intergovernmental organization under a UN convention.

It has 28 members including Australia, the UK, Japan and the EU representing the interests of developed UN member states, while Indonesia, Iran and India are among those representing developing ones.

Nilanto also said that there were concerns on the part of developing countries about the possibility of changes in the IOTC system should the IOTC split from the FAO.

The IOTC could become a more market-oriented organization with major countries and interests taking control of the commission, Nilanto said, circumstances that could put the tuna industry in developing countries at risk, as they did not have the capacity for full-blown competition with larger competitors.

The proposal to separate from FAO has so far secured the backing of countries like Japan, Australia and New Zealand, but opposition from many developing nations.

Nilanto said China, Iran and India shared the Indonesian position.

This proposal, to leave the FAO, first originated from a recommendation by an independent panel of IOTC, as it saw the management of the commission as too dominated by the UN’s complex bureaucratic system, making it less efficient and often less transparent.

IOTC executive secretary Alexandro Anganuzzi acknowledged the wide difference in opinions between the groups for and against change.

“It is very premature for us to say [about the outcome to separate or not], it will be up to members to do what they want,” he said.

IOTC’s main objective is to promote cooperation among its members to ensure the conservation and optimum utilization of tuna stocks in the Indian Ocean region.

It is holding its 13th annual meeting in Bali from March 30 until April 3 to discuss these issues.

Indonesia, which is the largest tuna producer in the Southeast Asia region, only recently joined the IOTC as a full member in 2007, after previously serving as a cooperating non-contracting party.

In 2008, Indonesia produced 937,000 tons of fish, including 125,933 tons of tuna. The year before, it produced 892,000 tons of fish, including 121,316 tons of tuna.

The country has said earlier in the meeting that it would propose an additional 500 tuna fishing boats to be added to its existing fleet of 874 tuna fishing vessels.

RPT-FEATURE-Shark fin out of vogue among young Asians

Forexpros.com

By Ralph Jennings and Cheong Kah Shin, 2009-03-30 12:03:26 GMT (Reuters)

TAIPEI/SINGAPORE, March 30 (Reuters) - Singaporean groom Han Songguang took his campaign to stop consumption of one of Asia's top delicacies to a new level when he placed postcards of a dead shark on each guest's seat at his own wedding banquet.

Instead of shark's fin soup, a must at many ethnic Chinese wedding banquets, Han offered his guests lobster soup.

"If we can do our part to save 'X' number of sharks ... why not?" said Han, a geography teacher, who married a diving enthusiast in December.

Wildlife conservationists, who have long railed against the popularity of shark fin soup, are finally seeing signs that consumption is dropping as young Asians become aware of the environmental impact of this much prized dish.

Added to that is the global financial crisis, which is causing Asians to tighten their belts and either cut down on visits to restaurants or order more frugally from menus.

A symbol of wealth and status in Chinese culture, shark fin soup has long been an essential part of banquet celebrations for weddings and to welcome in the Lunar New Year.

Until recently, only the rich could afford the soup. But demand has soared in recent years, hand-in-hand with rising affluence in East Asia. The quantity of shark fins demanded, around 800,000 metric tonnes a year, has caused a sharp decline in shark numbers. About 20 percent of all shark species are now endangered.

Wildlife conservationists also decry the killing of sharks through "finning", whereby the fins are cut off and the live shark is tossed back into the sea. Unable to swim properly, the shark suffocates or is killed by predators.

"Today we have incredible access to information. It has become much harder to say 'I didn't know'," said Glenn Sant, marine programme leader of the British wildlife group TRAFFIC.

He urged young Asians to take a stand and say: "'It shouldn't be an insult not to put shark fin on our wedding menu'".

Despite efforts to ban "finning", environmentalists say it is still carried out across the region as fishermen want the valuable fin but don't want to store the rest of the shark as its flesh fetches low prices at fish markets.

CONSERVATION

As young Asians such as Han take a stand against shark fin soup, environmentalists hope for a long-term drop in consumption. Still there is a robust market of older consumers who demand the soup at auspicious events.

"Students and people in their 20s wouldn't go to a shark eatery, and $15 for a dish is no cheap price," said Joyce Wu, programme officer with TRAFFIC.

Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and China, including Hong Kong, are all major shark fin consumers, according to a TRAFFIC report. Trade in shark products was worth $310 million in 2005, with fins 40 percent of the total, the report says.

Those numbers are coming down as younger consumers eschew the delicacy of their parents.

Worldwide shark consumption dropped from a peak of 897,000 metric tonnes in 2003 to 758,000 in 2006, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation. Fins make up an increasingly small percentage of the total, TRAFFIC says.

Indonesia's overall 2006 haul of 98,250 metric tonnes compares to a 2003 peak of 117,559 metric tonnes, while Taiwan's 40,000 to 45,000 metric tonnes of shark caught per year is down from around 70,000 annually in the early 1990s.

Hong Kong shark fin hauls have held steady at about 10,000 metric tonnes per year since 2004, the region's government says.

"They live a long time. They have a low reproductive rate. In in other words they produce just a few young every year or every few years," said Yvonne Sadovy, a biology professor at the University of Hong Kong. "So you just can't take a lot."

CHANGING TASTES

Tastes have changed along with awareness for young Asians.

Shang-kuan Liang-chi, a National Taiwan University student who has tried the crunchy jelly-like dish twice at formal events, prefers other food and avoids a shark fin restaurant near campus. "University students never go in there," he said.

Even chefs are hoping to turn the tide. At Singapore's Annual Chefs' Association dinner, shark fin traditionally served at the occasion was taken off the menu.

"It is much harder to stop serving shark's fin in our restaurants as the consumers still demand it. However, in our personal capacity, we can make a stand," said Otto Weibel, a food manager at one of Singapore's top hotels.

Global entertainment giant Disney bowed to pressure from animal rights activists and took the delicacy off its menu when it opened Hong Kong Disneyland in 2005.

Some Asian fishery authorities have banned "finning" and monitor boats for illegal catches of endangered species.

"We care a lot about the problems that environmental groups have raised," said Chen Tain-shou, Taiwan Fisheries Agency deputy director-general.

Authorities in south China recently rescued a nurse shark from a tank after learning that it was to be slaughtered and its fins turned into soup for a 70-person banquet.

Shark fin sellers say their sales have also been tested by the economy. With Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong in recession, the restaurant business is flagging. Older consumers would buy more in better times, they say.

"If people are eating it, it's a major event," said Shen Lee-ching, a Taipei vendor of 30 years who sells dried fins by the bag for about $90 apiece. Some bags of dried, chopped fin have sat for years on her shelves.

In south China's hub city Guangzhou, the 1,200 dried seafood stores have seen shark fin prices fall by about 40 percent since the financial crisis began, said Wu Huihan, an official from the city's dried seafood association.

"People are keeping their money to spend on necessities, things that fill their stomach," said Singapore fin seller Jeff Poon.

(Additional reporting by James Pomfret in Hong Kong; editing by Doug Young and Megan Goldin)