The End of Finning|抢救鲨鱼大作战

The End of Finning

by Leigh Goldberg

Taiwan is the first place in Asia to ban the inhumane practice of shark finning.

Long revered as a symbol of wealth, status, and prestige in Chinese society, shark fin soup sells for up to US$100 a bowl and is often served at wedding banquets and corporate celebrations. Its supposed benefits of improving one's skin, preventing heart disease, lowering cholesterol, and boosting sexual vitality have made it a hot commodity. _(1)_

Sharks are near the top of the marine ecosystem, so they help keep everything in balance. Even so, they grow slowly, taking nearly 15 years to reach maturity. _(2)_ This means that the shark fin industry's killing of 1.5 million sharks per week is throwing the ecosystem out of whack, not to mention threatening 30 percent of shark species with extinction. The biggest complaint about the shark fin industry is the inhumane practice of finning. _(3)_

The plight of sharks might just be getting a reprieve. Taiwan, which has the fourth largest shark fin industry in the world, recently passed a ban on shark finning. _(4)_ The new law doesn't restrict fishermen from catching sharks, though. Instead, the ban makes it illegal to return to port with the sharks already cut up into pieces. Taiwan has joined the US, Australia, and the European Union in making shark finning illegal. _(5)_ Sharks that are alive are a lot more valuable to the world than those that are dead.

(A) Sharks also produce very few offspring.

(B) This makes it the first place in Asia to do so.

(C) Now is the time for Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the rest of the world to ban the possession, use, and consumption of shark fins altogether.

(D) However, this taste of luxury comes at an extremely high cost to the environment.

(E) This involves catching sharks, cutting off their fins, and then savagely dumping the rest of the animals back into the ocean alive.

抢救鲨鱼大作战

台湾是亚洲第 1个禁止猎取鲨鱼鳍这种不人道行径的国家。

　　在华人社会，鱼翅汤长久以来就被尊为财富、地位和名望的象征，1碗汤要价高达 100 美元，是婚宴和公司行号庆祝活动上常见的菜肴。它传闻中的功效包括改善肤质、预防心脏病、降低胆固醇和提高性能力，这些在在使鱼翅汤成为畅销商品。然而，这类奢华的味蕾享受却让环境付出极高的代价。

　　鲨鱼位居海洋生态系统的顶端附近，因而有助于生态系统的平衡。即使如此，牠们的生长速度缓慢，将近 15 年才能到达成熟期。再者，鲨鱼繁衍的后代为数稀少。这意味着鱼翅产业每星期杀害 150 万头鲨鱼，使得生态系统大为紊乱，更不用说让百分之三十的鲨鱼种类面临灭绝的威胁。针对鱼翅产业最大的不满是猎取鱼鳍的不人道行径。这包含了猎捕鲨鱼、割下鱼鳍，并残忍地将剩下的鱼体活生生丢回海洋。

　　如今，鲨鱼面对的困境可能得到缓解。名列全世界鱼翅产业规模第 4 位的台湾，最近通过猎取鲨鱼鳍的禁令。这让台湾成为亚洲首先实行此举的国家。不过新的法令不限制渔业人士捕鲨，但回港的渔船上载有被肢解的鲨鱼则属违法。台湾已和美国、澳洲和欧盟共同加入禁止猎取鲨鱼鳍的行列。现在正是台湾、香港和全世界其他国家完全禁止拥有、使用以及食用鱼翅的时候。比起死掉的鲨鱼，活着的鲨鱼对世界来得更有价值。

答案：  1. (D)2. (A)3. (E)4. (B)5. (C)