Please pardon me for uploading this video clip at this time of the year – when we are wedged in between bunny’s tail and dragon’s breath, as my favorite food blogger puts it. Yes, I know many of you might find it unpleasant, nauseating even.
Food is an integral part of any celebration. What is a festival without indulging in some feasting, right? For some, it is a way to reward ourselves for working hard the past year. Most of us are thinking of what to eat in the coming days. I hope shark fin soup is not one of them.
As you all know, shark fin soup is a very expensive delicacy, served in the best restaurants, on special occasions. A piece of authentic shark fin can fetch a very hefty sum. This video shows exactly how shark fins were harvested. Baby sharks were hauled out from the sea, have their fins chopped off mercilessly and then thrown back into the sea – blood flowing, raw wound and all. Can you imagine the lingering pain these poor animals suffered? They were left to bleed to death just like that. They have to endure excruciating pain in the course of satisfying the palate of a few.
Many people are beginning to say “no” to shark fin soup. It is pure economics – the demand and supply theory. When we stop demanding for shark fin soup, less baby sharks will be killed for this purpose.
Having reunion dinner in the restaurants is getting popular as people do not want the hassle of cooking at home. If you and your family are having the reunion dinner in a restaurant, this is a good time to say “no” to shark fin soup if it is part of the menu.
Another young animal that has to endure great pain and early death is the little piglet. In fact they are still suckling when they were cruelly torn away from their nursing mothers, slaughtered and roasted to perfection and then presented on the table as “Yue Chu.” I think many of you are familiar with this dish, prized for its thin and crispy skin, best eaten with plum sauce and hot buns called “Man Tao”.
Start the year by saying “no” to cruelty to animals and practise compassion towards them instead. I am sure you will feel good doing a small part in relieving their pain. You are planting a merit. You are practicing a good deed. Yes, we can eat, drink and be merry but please spare a thought for these poor animals whose lives were shorten horribly so that they can grace our dinner table. Our collective efforts will make a big difference to them. It is not difficult to say “no.” It is all in your heart.
I have been a vegetarian for the past 1 year.
After reading http://www.peta.org/
In my view, all animals should be treated equal.
Some animals like dogs, cats are spared of their lives because they are more cute and can play with ,than pigs, cattles, chicken , fish etc. If you kill a dog for their meat, you will be arrested here whereas if you kill a chicken or pig for their meat , it is OK.
All animals have feelings too. They feel the pain too when we slaugthered them. Look at the groan they make when they are slaughtered. During festivals or celebrations, a lot of animals have to sacrifice for us. Thinking of the sacrifice and pain they have to make just for us to enjoy ourselves, are we selfish?
Hi Ming,
Welcome to my blog and Gong Xi Fa Cai to you. Yes, eating the meat of any animal is very selfish of us.
While most of us do not eat dog or cat meat simply because they are pets, we have no qualms eating the meats of other animals. This is wrong. Does this mean other animals like cows, pigs, ducks, chickens and fish are more deserving to die and have their meat eaten? Are they more inferior than dogs and cats? The answer is no. So eat less meats. Start with baby steps. It is doable.
What you are doing is very noble and laudable!