Chapter 421: Shark Fin and Health
Moreover, sharks are at the top of the marine biological chain, and they have eaten a lot of other fish in their lives, and a lot of mercury and heavy metals have accumulated in their bodies, so shark fins contain mercury and should not be eaten more. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 infoThe psychological motivation of consumers to consume shark fin is mainly "to show personal taste or identity", and "high-grade shark fin can bring help to one's career or health".
Fishermen, large or small, cut off the dorsal fin, two pectoral fins and part of the caudal fin alive with chainsaws on the deck, and then threw the bleeding shark back into the sea, because the cabin was not that big for shark meat.
These sharks are thrown back into the ocean and sink into the deep sea, unable to swim or feed, in pain, starvation, bleeding, and finally dying in the depths. In China's catering industry, shark fin is still unshakable, and many restaurants display the largest shark fin in the most eye-catching place in the lobby to flaunt it.
China is currently the world's largest importer of shark fin, and with the improvement of the living standards of the Chinese people, shark fin is no longer exclusive to a few, and, according to a survey report cited today by the "First Financial Daily" in Shanghai, shark fin is contaminated with mercury as much as 70 percent, and the consumption of shark fin is causing the global shark population to be wiped out. The total number of sharks has declined dramatically - by 80 per cent in 50 years
Due to the high price of shark fins, fishermen from all over the world have rushed to kill sharks in the sea in recent years, resulting in an imbalance in the marine ecology and the endangerment of some sharks. Because shark meat is of low value, shark fin fishermen cut off only the shark's fins and throw the shark back into the sea to keep more room for the fins of higher value. These sharks do not die instantly, but they can suffocate due to the loss of the ability to swim, or be preyed upon by other sharks. It is precisely because of the huge interests involved that the industry has been accused of involvement in triad activities.
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About 70 percent of shark fins are contaminated with mercury and can pose a health risk if consumed in large quantities. Shark fin also has no special nutritional value. In fact, in recent years, because industrial wastewater has been continuously discharged into the ocean, the annual oil into the marine environment is as high as more than two million tons, so that the heavy metal content in the seawater is high, and the shark is at the top of the marine food chain, after swallowing other fish, the heavy metals in the food will also enter the shark's body and accumulate, so the heavy metal content in the shark's body will be more and more.
Tributyltin is a compound used in antifouling coatings on ship hulls and has been found in the kidneys of sharks caught off the coast of Italy. Metallic elements such as cadmium, lead, and arsenic have also been found in tissue samples of several shark species in the Eastern Mediterranean. In 2001, a spot check of shark fins at Bangkok's Chinatown market showed that 7 out of 10 shark fins contained high levels of mercury, with the highest level being 42 times the allowable amount. In 2008, spot checks in the Hong Kong market showed that 8 out of 10 shark fins contained high levels of mercury, with the highest level being 4 times the allowable amount.
On March 11, 2011, the Fukushima nuclear leak in Japan caused a large amount of radioactive material to accumulate in sharks at the top of the food chain. Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology took samples for testing from March 16 to 19. The results showed that the radioactive activity of strontium-89 in sharks was up to 260 becquerels per kilogram and strontium-90 was up to 32 becquerels per kilogram. The radioactive activity of strontium-90 is up to 5.9 becquerels per kilogram. Radioactive strontium is a fission product of uranium-235, with a half-life of about 50 days for strontium-89 and about 29 years for strontium-90. Leukemia can occur with long-term exposure.
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According to the Conference on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a subsidiary body of the United Nations, among the more than 370 species of sharks evaluated in the past, only the great white shark, whale shark and basking shark are threatened with endangered species. Basking shark fins, also known as the extremely expensive Tin 9 fins, have accounted for well below 1% of Hong Kong's imports in recent years. At present, shark fins are mainly from blue sharks and blue sharks, which are not endangered.
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A study by an environmental investigation team has shown that shark fin soup contains high concentrations of mercury, a toxic substance that is harmful to the human higher nervous system. Two randomized toxicity tests on shark fins sold in Bangkok have shown that shark fins, a delicious and high-quality nutritional product, are up to 70% contaminated with mercury, containing 42 times more mercury that can be absorbed by the human body. The source of mercury is untreated wastewater. Australia and New Zealand have also recently issued warnings to women who are pregnant, in particular not to consume shark meat. Excessive intake of mercury can be very harmful to pregnant women and their babies, especially the production of brain and nerve cells. Most of the mercury in shark fins comes from polluted seawater, and sharks are at the top of the food chain, so they are always able to accumulate more and more mercury in their bodies.
Nowadays, people regard shark fin as a delicacy and nourishing product, and there is a "shark fin fever". According to statistics, the purpose of the popular science wall chart display jointly organized by the Municipal Association for Science and Technology, the International Wildlife Federation and the Guangzhou Aquarium is to let the public re-understand sharks and not eat shark fins.
A study by the Guangzhou Aquarium found that shark fins contain much higher levels of mercury or other heavy metals than other fish. This is because humans are constantly discharging wastewater from industrial processes into the ocean, which makes the seawater high in mercury and other heavy metals, and marine life is also affected. Sharks are at the top of the marine food chain and tend to accumulate large amounts of polluting toxins in their bodies. In addition to the possibility of male infertility, mercury can also damage the central nervous system and kidneys if the amount is too high in the human body. Therefore, eating more shark meat and shark fin may be harmful to the human body.
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According to a report by the Huffington Post this morning, a new American study shows that shark fin production not only makes a large number of sharks endangered, but also may cause Alzheimer's disease because of high concentrations of neurotoxins.
According to the report, the study was published in the latest issue of the journal "Marine Medicine", and scientists at the University of Miami in the United States found that sharks contain high concentrations of β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), a neurotoxin related to dementia and Greck's disease, after analyzing shark fins in Florida waters. Experts believe that the consumption of shark meat and shark cartilage may be harmful to the health of those who eat it.