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Japan’s Shark Fin Trade

FTV news reports on a recent article the Guardian that attacks Japan for allowing the hunting of sharks. The author of the piece, Justin McCurry, refers to the shark fin trade as a “messy, blood-spattered business” that apparently threatens to wipe out certain species of sharks (“the genocide of a species”).

The reporters visit Kesennuma, a city in Miyagi prefecture that is the center of Japan’s shark meat industry:

They express amazement about the fact that a British newspaper would choose to focus on Japan when criticizing the consumption of shark meat. After all, statistics show that Japan is hardly the leading

A scholar interviewed by FTV says that Japan’s international image has been damaged by its official position regarding bluefin tuna, making it an easy target for such campaigns.

The report contains various scenes of delicious-looking shark fin dishes. At one point, a reporter visits a restaurant in Yokohama’s Chinatown and eats some shark fin. The restaurant uses shark fin from Kesennuma. It is noted that China’s growing economic prosperity has lead to a huge increase in international orders for Kesennuma shark fin, which has a reputation for high quality.

An employee of a fishing company in Kesennuma says that it is important to carry out shark catches in a sustainable manner, and his statements imply that measures are being taken to do just that. A fisherman interviewed point out that the non-fin parts of the sharks are not wasted. Meat is used in kamaboko and skin is used for bags and other products.

A spokesman for another fishing company says that to discuss this issue in a rational manner, one must lay aside emotional arguments about how sad or pathetic it is to see so many dead sharks. He seems very confident that things are being done in a sustainable manner.

Note: McCurry states in his article that 80% of the sharks targeted by Kesennuma fishermen are blue sharks. According to the IUCN, blue sharks are not an endangered species. However, some professional environmentalists quoted in his piece speculate that the blue shark might possibly maybe be facing a serious threat of extinction.

Update: Justin McCurry saw this post and tweeted a short response.

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59 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - February 15, 2011 at 9:45 am

Categories: Anti-Japan, Japanese Food Tags:

Anonymous

I think Japan is just an easy target for these types, which is why they always get “picked on” when it comes to whatever sort of fishing they do. In particular, America’s “Whale Wars” might be furthering this, among other things. Of course, regardless of anyone’s views on whaling, I’d say Sea Shepherd is as bad as they claim Japan is, if perhaps in a different way (wasted money, letting Animal Planet and whoever profit from this nonsense).

Hamachiman

Most definitely, just trying to ride the latest wave of Japan hating via ‘The Cove.’

Really, Japan is such an easy target for everyone to pick on. You know, WW2 and all of that.

savethesharks39

O wow, seriously?!? Are we all gonna play the ‘they pick on me’ card? Please, the only reason so many facts are being exploited about your fishing is because The Cove is a movie that exploits those secrets. I am sure the ther countries will be exploited to. Ok? So is that fair now? Wow

savethesharks39

The Sea Shepard is a ship that is most definetly not wasted money. Do your research before you comment, you never know when an American will reply defending a great anti-whaling ship

Simon

Dear hack writer Justin McCurry,

Please don’t stoop to writing sensational garbage like this.

Regards
Most educated people
jcpb

el ole el
Level3

These loons are an endangered species, or maybe they will be someday, therefore:
They should be locked up in a secure habitat for their own good. A habitat where they can figure out a way to survive without killing and eating anything that might become endangered (so theoretically, anything and everything) and report back to society when they find the answer.
FullFrontal

Ha! Another typical British media getting on moral high horse!
Typical Western media obsessed with Japan’s “dark secret”.

Dear British media, why don’t you go to Indonesia, India, or even Spain, which is much much closer to Britain, and teach your valuable moral lesson to the locals there? They kill many more poor sharks than the savage Japanese do! Go and rescue the poor sharks!
Dev

So where am I gonna get shark skin to grate my Wasabi if they ban fishing of sharks??

(If you haven’t tried wasabi grated on shark skin, I strongly suggest you experience it once in your life at least. You’ll never go back to machine grated/processed wasabi ever again.)
fish taco

It’s funny that the Japanese would be the target of this article. I’m pretty sure that the shark fin industry got it’s nasty reputation from the fishermen who go around cutting the fins off of live sharks and leaving the rest of the carcass in the sea. Practices like these are not only inhumane and wasteful, they also have a larger impact on the shark population. If the Japanese fishermen are actually using the entire shark and not over fishing then I don’t really see a problem. I would say however that since a lot of other fishermen are still slaughtering sharks just for their fins, I personally will never eat shark fin regardless of where it comes from. Even if a few fishermen are respectable I’d rather not be a part of the shark fin industry.
http://tepido.org/ LB

To Justin McCurry: as I see it, the issue is your sensationalist writing. The whole affair is “bloody” with “razor-sharp knives”. Shark fins get “hurled into buckets” and the rest “scooped up by a forklift and loaded on to a truck” while other fish get “reverential” treatment – a massive hook stabbed through the gills and dragged around on a concrete floor is “reverential”? Ah, but you left that bit out…

And so conspiratorial! “We were asked to leave the port and film from a gantry reserved for tourists…” Gasp! You mean workers at a fishing port had the gall to ask you, a reporter and your guide, to get out of the way and go sit up with the other tourists! The sneaky bastards – clearly hiding something! And the fin drying area, a “closely guarded secret”. Considering what the fins are worth, I would expect the processing company to keep it secret! I wouldn’t expect them to have big signs saying “expensive shark fins being sun-dried in the open! Thieves help yourselves!”

Basically, you’ve written a sophomoric bit of drivel about a serious issue. Your tone became more factual and serious later in the piece, I will give credit where it is due, but the first half is pure tripe. By the time we get down to actual facts about shark fishing, we’ve already been brought to believe Japanese shark fishermen are genocidal butchers. Nothing at all like good ol’ British fishermen, who have pushed the cod right to the brink – and quite possibly beyond – with massive bottom trawling nets that scrape everything, desirable and not-so-desirable, right off the bottom leaving massive dead zones miles wide and long.

Is this what passes for journalism in Britain these days?

yankdownunder

Is this what passes for journalism in Britain these days?
Yes and in Australia and America.

1. Shark fishing in Japan – a messy, blood-spattered business = racist
2. Shark fishing – a messy, blood-spattered business = sensationalist

I think the issue is not just his sensationalist writing but that his articles are racist.

chichi

>Justin McCurry
That aside, should we stop reporting on crime in japan because the crime rate is much lower than in other countries?

日本の犯罪率が他国に比べて著しく低いと認識しているならば､なぜそうなのか､イギリス社会が見習うべき面があるのではないか？という点に先ずは関心が向くのが自然だと思うんだが･･･｡

ryuugakusei

I think that was an analogy not meant to be taken literally. One crime or a hundred, it is still a problem that needs to be addressed.

chichi

McCurry記者の意図はそういうことでしょうが､ワタシとしては､犯罪を例えにしたその発言の中に欧米メディアの日本報道に関する問題点が図らずも露わになっていると言いたかったわけでして･･･｡

例えば暴力団に関する記事は多数あっても､日本の治安の良さについて社会的･文化的背景にまで掘り下げた報道はどれほどあるでしょうか？

イギリスを代表するリベラル紙が読者に偏った優越感を植え付けるような記事ばかり発信していてどうするの？

jay@newzjapan

In Japan, the rest of the shark is used to make kamaboko (which is delicious by the way, and a staple of bentos). I want someone who reports on Japan to know enough to know this is a non-issue here. I picture someone with dollar signs for eyeballs holding the script to “Cove II: The Soup” in his hands.

Please be careful about what you report though. I once got a crisply worded comment on my blog for picking on a badly researched article by a poor, defenseless CNN writer.
nagoriyuki

Why can’t British people stop eating blood-spattered fish’n chips?
Vox24

“Sunrise is still a good hour away when the first batch of limp, lifeless sharks are winched ashore and dumped on to the portside at Kesennuma.”

…limp, lifeless sharks…

Yeah, no sensationalist hackery going on here….
Bob

FujiTV attacks @justinmccurry???

More like presents rebuttal/counterpoints to his article. Someone didn’t do his research :p

He said that “I focused on japan, because I report on japan,” I think he has a case of tunnel vision. Something on shark fin trade, I immediately think china, not japan, and not just focused on one country.
TofuUnion

I remember Western bashing on Japanese whaling, while they intentionally forgot (forgave ?) Norwegian and Dane whaling.
Mike S

Well I guess I’m the only one who thinks the article is reasonably balanced. He quotes a variety of points of view and in the article itself does admit that Japan is not the worst culprit. I have big concerns about the unsustainable use of resources. I don’t care if Japan wants to hunt a few sharks or whales, but I care that all countries use the Ocean’s resources in a sustainable manner. Especially problematic is blue-fin tuna systematic over fishing by a variety of countries is leading to big trouble. We’ve seen what happens in other parts of the world when a fishery collapses. The northern cod fishery in Canada is a perfect example.

ponta

McCurry said on the tweet he focused on Japan because he reported on Japan.

But he is not reporting on just Japan but also other nations and other nationals.

“The British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay highlighted the cruelty involved in finning – the practice of removing fins and discarding the body – in a recent documentary for Channel 4, while several Chinese restaurants in London have removed the soup from their menus.”

Let’s pay attention to what he does not mention about the “British” celebrity

The British celebrity is not against the cruelty involved in killing animals and fishes for food.

“Animal activitists have slammed TV celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay for promoting the French delicacy Foie Gras which is described as “a disease marketed as a delicacy”……

Foie Gras – “fatty liver” – is produced by force feeding ducks or geese until their livers swell-up to ten times the normal size……..

A spokesman for Channel 4 said: “The F Word’s Foie Gras came from a highly reputable French supplier. Foie Gras is a very traditional French food that is served in many restaurants throughout Britain and has been a well-established part of our food landscape for many decades.”

http://www.clickliverpool.com/news/national-news/126905-gordon-ramsey-faces-backlash-from-animal-welfare-activists.html

Gordon Ramsey – f word – Caviar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skfx5RKz0oQ

Not only that, he is reporting on the US and the Japanese people by stating a ambiguous comment on the steps the US has taken and by quoting a comment from a member of a conservation group.

“Several countries, including the US, have taken steps to conserve shark populations, but she holds out little hope that Japan will follow suit. “Many Japanese turn a blind eye to the problem and ocean conservation seems to be overlooked here,” she says”

Again let’s pay attention to what he does not mention. As a catching nation, the US lies in 8th place according to TRAFFIC International, 6th according to the Fuji TV. He didn’t mention the fact while he mentioned the fact Japan lies in 9th place. He didn’t want to offend the US perhaps?

Does he quote a variety of points of view and is the article balanced by selectively focusing on and contrasting other people and other nations ?

RMilner

Fuji TV should do a sensationalist expose on the annual Scottish Haggis cull.

I’ve eaten shark’s fin soup. It was rubbish. No flavour.

medaka

Either your tastebuds haven’t received a proper education, or you’re eating in the wrong restaurants.

RMilner

Well it was supposedly the best Chinese restaurant in Mito city, so make what you will of that.

Aceface

Try here in Ebisu.Wasn’t bad 10 years ago.
http://www.tsukushiro.co.jp/

fish taco

I agree, I tried it a couple times many years ago when dining with Chinese friends. I think people just want to eat it because of the myths of it’s beneficial properties. That and it’s an expensive delicacy I guess.

Rockne

When did people start giving a crap about sharks? I can understand dolphins – they’re cute – but I was sure public opinion of sharks was irreparably damaged by JAWS.

flowby

From quite a long time ago. Sharks are the lords of the sea as anyone with even a mild interest in marine biology will know.

Though I’m not so sure how concerned mr McCurry really is – or perhaps he’s just flexing his quill skills.

Probably predator phishing.
Reit

Sharks are important predators and they also, as a superorder, reproduce and mature relatively slowly (with some variation between species). If they’re being overharvested, they will have difficulty recovering.

As you remove predators, it can unbalance the entire ecosystem as their prey explodes in population. For example, one hypothesis for why Nomura jellyfish are exploding in population is a reduction in animals (especially fish and sea turtles) that prey on them while they are in their larval stage and small. The same happens in kelp forests as animals that prey on sea urchins are overharvested (especially lobster). The resulting explosion in sea urchin devastate the kelp forests.

This isn’t just about warm, fuzzy feelings. Overharvesting of resources is a serious environmental and ecological issue. The problem is identifying which resources are being overused, which is a particularly difficult task in the oceans. It’s even harder to convince people to stop harvesting resources that bring them money (and as rarity increases due to overharvesting, they make even more money as prices go up).
Day-Bee-Toe

I can understand dolphins – they’re cute

I think we shouldn’t understand it. It is a very dangerous idea to use cuteness as a measure of the value of life.

A cute girl’s life is, and should be, equal to an ugly middle aged man’s life.

Many Westerners seem to lose their ration when it comes to animals. I don’t think they have the right to Islam fundamentalists — for a non-Westerner, both of them look equally crazy.

Comment

“Many Westerners seem to lose their ration when it comes to animals.”

And many don’t.

As with nearly everything, any extreme is probably bad. Animals shouldn’t be revered, or treated as having equal value or importance as a human. But neither should they be abused, subjected to unnecessary pain and suffering, or treated like lumps of flesh who’s only purpose is to serve mankind.

Something in the middle is usually the wisest.

Mr. USA

Seriously, Justin McCurry is just the white Kyung Lah.

flowby

Sorry – but what’s a white kyung lah?

An Hawaiian napkin?

cesar

she’s a chinese reporter that likes to bash japan with 3 or 4 year old stories she recycles from time to time

http://www.billowykimono.com Senor Science

Never let the facts get into the way of a good story. It’s the western journalist way!

Chiaosu

Correction. It’s the journalists way!

Day-Bee-Toe

Very stupid and funny report, as commonly seen in British quality papers when it comes to Japan.

Mr McCurry, if you have done a few minutes of survey on the web, you could have easily found that shark fin cuisine is Chinese culture. It is as if you were blaming Japanese for eating dogs (We don’t — by the way, what’s wrong even if we did it? For Hindus or Muslims, eating cows would be very barbaric).

That aside, should we stop reporting on crime in japan because the crime rate is much lower than in other countries?

Yes, you should, at least for some extent. Actually, you Brits seem to be a bit too far fascinated by Tatsuya Ichihashi. He is a murderer, but not Usama bin Laden. The statistics proves, at least, Japan is a lot safer than Britain.

I cannot help feeling like you Brits intentionally pick up very minor incidents in Japan to depict it as a horrible place. Or could you ever give me a reasonable reason why you chose Japan, not Indonesia, India or Spain, as the target to talk about this topic?

I am fed up with anti-Japan propaganda by pseudo-liberal hypocrites like you and your fellow journalists. For me, Guardian seems like Pravda.
kay

I’ll admit the tone of this article does pander to the emotional side of seeing dead animals. However the rest of the article does seem well researched and truthful–simply exposing another fishing industry in Japan. Japan does love its seafood but I think the country as a whole doesn’t really realize the value of ocean conservation.

Article states that “Japan caught about 65,000 tonnes of sharks just over 40 years ago, according to the country’s fisheries agency; by 2009 that had almost halved to 35,000 tonnes” you would think that this would be some cause for concern, but of course more research and definitive statistics could help or hinder this arguement.

i shall have to read my kamaboko ingredients more carefully now. The kamaboko ingredients I always see are pollock.
Danbury

The Japanese have nobody to blame but themselves for how they’re portrayed in Western media. If they had given up their brutal and ruthless pursuit of marine life, articles like this wouldn’t crop up.

cesar

so, because some people think that a country’s in the wrong it’s ok to make false statements to hurt that country’s image? even though the original disagreement regards a highly subjective issue?
medaka

Oh please. Rather you kick of your vegan leather slippers, have a plate of whale sushi and just chill, lady.
ponta

It is interesting that you said, “The Japanese have nobody to blame but themselves”

Supposing for the sake of argument that Kesennuma fishery workers are to blame, a rational conservation group, the Japanese or not, would blame Indonesia most or it would blame the top catching nations equally.

If the Guardian just focused upon a crime by black people, how brutal it was committed by black people, insinuating that white people were more aware of it and had taken steps to prevent the crime, wouldn’t it be unfair especially if there were more crimes by white people? Isn’t it reasonable to blame the article for how black people are portrayed in the Western media ?
Simon

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Danbury, ~~master~~ over-obvious troll!

Pikky

It does seem like he’s just picking on Japan, since they’ve always been a target regarding fishing, which all started with their view to the outside world as barbarians for being the first to widely-consume raw fish (sushi) before it became popular. They’ve also been in the news lately for tuna fishing, whale eating, and consuming other strange animals.
It may be true that Japan’s shark trade is less than savory, but let’s not exaggerate any details. His reporting could do a lot more good focusing on the overall picture – which country does it most? – rather than targeting a country that is on the lower ranks of consumption, even below that of the US. How about focus on a problem that if fixed would make a difference, like how to reduce the extinction of the species, and then focus on the mail cause of that issue – i.e. not Japan, but other countries. Stop picking on Japan because you simply ‘report on Japan’ and instead be a reporter and give the public the most accurate information you can.
Hamachiman

Speaking of which, California is considering ban of this:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2011/02/15/MNLG1HMV3V.DTL
Nonof my beeswax

Well, yet again Japan is the target of international sea bullies. I mean even with other asian countries and the USA topping Japan in the Shark Fin trade Japan is still targetted overall. People who support these organizations like Greenbullies..I mean peace really need to take a long look at what is being done. Numbskulls that watch “The Cove” need to seriously research the materials and use alternate referances. Now, the Gaurdian?! I don’t know what they’re about, but need to use that thing between their ears.
Piglet

Whether to determine a species should be protected is the role of science. There are scientific studies trying to estimate marine populations and there shouldn’t be political interference. For example, it is now internationally accepted by the scientific community that bluefin tuna is endangered and should be protected. It doesn’t seem however that there is a scientific consensus concerning sharks.
In addition, international consensus is now that animals should be killed in a “humane” way, ie in a way that is as painless and quick as possible. The killing of dolphins in Taji is questionable not because dolphins are cute but because the killing is done in a very stressful and painful way for the dolphins. As long as Taji people find a way to kill the dolphins in a more “humane” (and sustainable) way, I don’t have any objection.
Karina

I don’t eat shark or whale, but I don’t like it when the international community acts like Japan is the only country that hunts these animals and solely attack Japan, whilst ignoring other countries that hunt various things.

The violent tactics certain groups use isn’t really improving the image of these ‘anti-’ activists or their opinions, either. (I’m not saying the Guardian guy is violent—certain groups that use violent tactics, that is).

Things like this however do raise an interesting question—who is to decide what types of meat/fish etc are ‘acceptable’ for human consumption? Should that be universal worldwide? Do Western countries truly believe that the only types of living things humans worldwide should eat are chicken, pork, and beef, and only a handful of fish?

Piglet

Things like this however do raise an interesting question—who is to decide what types of meat/fish etc are ‘acceptable’ for human consumption? Should that be universal worldwide? Do Western countries truly believe that the only types of living things humans worldwide should eat are chicken, pork, and beef, and only a handful of fish?

Chicken, pork, beef (and some fish species like salmon) are grown specifically for human consumption, unlike most sea products, which require sustainable fishing. Over consumption of some fish species (like bluefin tuna) can lead to their extinction.

Day-Bee-Toe

Over consumption of some fish species (like bluefin tuna) can lead to their extinction.

Yes, and this Kesen’numa case is no problem because sharks are not overhunted.

I would say the bluefin tuna case was exception — I mean, it was almost the only case that the criticism was based on scientific facts, not on emotion. However, whom were blamed was somehow the Japanese, not European fishermen who are overhunting the tuna. Why????

miss_igirisu

Meh, at least he’s better than Leo Lewis.

Pikky

and Justin Bieber

somebody

日本を叩けばもれなくイメージアップですね^^
mozumozumozu

In this case, Justin Mccurry, our cut & paste journalist, is a follower of the most respected news source in UK, or the Sun.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3056426/Raiders-of-the-lost-sharks.html
Mercy

I’m a little late to this article but I wanted to add my 2 cents.

After watching the video I can’t help but get the idea they are portraying themselves like “Oh poor Japan, getting picked on by westerners who want to make themselves feel important.” You know what country gets the most attention when it comes to shark finning? China! China is probably the only country most people think of when they hear about sharks finning. Because there is so much media attention focusing on China with this issue. Shark fin soup is a Chinese dish after all. Just because one dude writes an article about shark hunting in Japan doesn’t automatically mean the whole world now blames Japan for the shark’s decline. I think the article was written to point out that Japan also does it. (and I know they use the whole shark, which is commendable)

Also, why does an animal have to be totally endangered before we stop hunting it? I know most of the shark species Japan catches are listed as “Threatened” but maybe we should curb some of the commercial hunting before they become officially endangered? and by “We” I mean all countries who hunt sharks, not just Japan.
http://www.iiilv.com/index.php?main_page= melody

創業者ルイ・ヴィトンが1854年、パリに世界最初の旅行鞄店「LOUIS VUITTON」を設立。
機能性、デザイン性を認めたナポレオン３世の皇妃ユージェニーが旅行用衣装箱を発注したりしたためヨーロッパの王族も競って特注した事により、世界中から愛されるきっかけとなる。
1896年、コピー商品の流出を防止するために、世界で最初にモノグラム柄を用いた。
「L」を「V」と花と星を組み合わせた模様は2代目のジョルジョ・ヴィトン（Georges VUITTON）が考案した。
王侯貴族をはじめ、上流社会の人々を魅了した。
http://www.iiilv.com/ melody

創業者ルイ・ヴィトンが1854年、パリに世界最初の旅行鞄店「LOUIS VUITTON」を設立。
機能性、デザイン性を認めたナポレオン３世の皇妃ユージェニーが旅行用衣装箱を発注したりしたためヨーロッパの王族も競って特注した事により、世界中から愛されるきっかけとなる。
1896年、コピー商品の流出を防止するために、世界で最初にモノグラム柄を用いた。
「L」を「V」と花と星を組み合わせた模様は2代目のジョルジョ・ヴィトン（Georges VUITTON）が考案した。
王侯貴族をはじめ、上流社会の人々を魅了した
savethesharks39

I cannot tell you how much i disagree with this article!! Sharks are a living thing that hurt extremely less people than we do finning them! “the non-fin parts of the sharks are not wasted. Meat is used in kamaboko and skin is used for bags and other products.” This is absolutley horrible, so what you are saying is you brutely kill these sharks for their fins that they use for survival, but its ok because you use it for bags and such! That is not what we are saying, we are saying you shouldnt brutely kill the sharks at all!! I am an oceanography student and have studied these creatures for weeks, and they are definetly majestic creatures that shouodnt be harmed for a “delicacy”. Please, in order to get this situation resolved, we all must see each others side of the story. I see the fisherman’s side, of course I do. They need money to support their families and support their boat. But they shouldn’t so it this way. Now please, you must see us activist’s side of the story, i have seen the movie The Cove, and this is the main reason why Japan is such an easy target, it is the only one that has been exposed to the public. I am more than positive that Indonesia and the other countries on that list won’t be far behind from being exposed. And yes, I am an American.

Japan’s Shark Fin Trade

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