Shark fin and foie gras aren’t luxurious delicacies – they’re the products of cruel animal abuse.
Animal rights groups are demanding an end to shark fin soup and foie gras production, both made from inhumanely sourced animal parts.
On Tuesday, the Korean Animal Protection Alliance released a statement: 100 million sharks are dying! It’s time to stop shark fin consumption and embrace veganism.
These groups report that about 100 million sharks are dumped back into the ocean annually after their fins are brutally sliced off. The rest of the shark is considered too tough and flavorless. Left in the water, these sharks can’t swim or breathe, slowly bleeding to death in excruciating pain.
South Korea imports between 20 to 26 tons of shark fins each year, with the controversial ingredient appearing on menus in upscale hotels and Chinese restaurants.
The alliance warns that sharks, being apex predators in marine ecosystems, accumulate much higher levels of heavy metals like mercury and lead than other fish. Consuming shark fin could lead to serious health issues including dizziness, headaches, muscle cramps, kidney damage, and even sexual dysfunction.
Shark fin is facing global backlash due to its cruelty and health risks. The U.S. passed a law in 2022 effectively banning the sale, purchase, possession, and distribution of shark fins nationwide. States like California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, New Jersey, and New York have already outlawed shark fin dishes.
Canada banned shark fin harvesting in 2019 and prohibited the import and export of separated shark fins. The UK has also banned shark fin and related product trade, according to animal rights groups.
The organizations are urging South Korea to follow suit, banning the import, distribution, and sale of shark fins. It must stop buying and selling this cruel and horrific product, they emphasized.
The groups also called for a halt on foie gras distribution, following reports that China is set to overtake France as the world’s top foie gras producer this year.
They describe foie gras production as one of the worst forms of animal abuse. The process involves force-feeding ducks and geese by inserting tubes down their throats and pumping their stomachs full of grain mixtures to create abnormally enlarged livers.
This brutal practice causes the birds’ livers to swell 6 to 10 times their normal size, severely damaging their necks and internal organs. The animals endure extreme stress and suffering throughout the process.
The alliance condemned factory farming practices that treat cows, pigs, and chickens like meat, milk, and egg-producing machines in cramped, inhumane conditions. All of this is cruel and horrific animal abuse, they stated. It should embrace healthy, cruelty-free vegan diets instead.