![Camel in Dubai outside of some restaurants that serve shark fin soup](https://www.justgottadive.com/sites/www.justgottadive.com/files/styles/resp_breakpoints_sdtn_content_wide/public/sdtn_blog/media-photos/main_photos/JGD/_al_bastakiya_dubai_say_no_to_shark_fin_soup.JPG?itok=qhYi0jwg×tamp=1435447924 "Dubai Cuisine: Say "No" To Shark Fin Soup")
We've known about the shark fin soup problem in Asian nations for many years now. Today, we've discovered that shark fin soup is popular in another - extremely unlikely - place. In the United Arab Emirates, particularly in Dubai, people are eating shark fin soup and using some other so-called remedies made from shark parts. While shark finning is illegal in the UAE, fishermen continue flouting the law, indiscriminately maiming, killing, and discarding as many sharks as they possibly can.
The Problem - Shark Finning
Shark populations are plummeting worldwide, with few common species left unscathed by the shark trade. Enter the Whitecheek Shark, which is found in the Indian Ocean and in the Arabian Gulf. Previously unexploited, this species has attracted the attention of international fin traders, who will stop short at nothing when seeking a profit. Wildlife officials are alarmed, as local regulations are rarely enforced, and as policing is not seen as a priority by governmental agencies in the region.
The law is clear: In the UAE, it is a crime to "catch living aquatic creatures to extract their eggs, skins, fins, or any other parts thereof," or to throw fish waste or carcasses of sharks or whales into the water. While the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi warns that fishermen practicing finning off Abu Dhabi will be prosecuted, it has no authority in other emirates.
While the Whitecheek shark is not endangered, other species living in the region are being targeted. Spot-tail sharks, Blacktip sharks, and Bowmouth guitarfish are classified as vulnerable. Yet witnesses say that poachers routinely offload cargoes of sharks and shark fins in plain sight of the public.
The Solution - Shark Finning
The Emirates Diving Association is attempting to spread awareness and put a stop to illegal finning in the UAE. The association has joined forces with the Ministry of Environment and with a number of international organizations in an attempt to put a stop to the devastating effect the practice is causing to the shark population in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf. Even low levels of finning, taking place over a long period of time causes a decline in reef species once these apex predators are removed from the local food web.
Many people simply are not aware of the problems sharks face. They don't know that sharks are endangered, and they don't understand that sharks play a vital role in healthy oceans, a healthy planet, and even in keeping people healthy via their presence. They do not realize that a live shark is worth much more than a dead one. By spreading awareness, activists in the UAE hope to curb the fast growing appetite for shark fin soup.
While estimates vary, the global shark fin trade totals hundreds of millions of dollars each year, with tens of millions of sharks worldwide being caught and killed for their fins. Experts estimate that the worldwide shark population has declined by as much as 90 percent, with Dubai acting as the fifth largest shark fin exporter in the world. Not only does it auction off fins from its own waters, it is also a hub for shark fins from Africa and Oman. The United Nations estimates that Dubai exports around 500 metric tons of shark fins and other shark products to Hong Kong annually, which in turn receives about half the world's shark fins.
Speak with your wallet, and refuse to patronize restaurants that sell shark fin soup. You'll find it on the menu at some hotels in Dubai, and at other restaurants worldwide; visit the Stop Shark Finning Network to find other ways you can help. Only when demand ceases will attempts to fin sharks stop. Until then, our oceans are at risk.