Please remove Shark Fin Soup

[Red_Wolf]

Please remove Shark Fin Soup from the game. Shark Finning is a destructive practice that has no place in reality or virtual reality. You may think that Shark Finning is the marine equivalent of Ivory poachers, but at least Ivory poachers have the decency to kill the elephant before removing their tusks for profit. Sharks are not as lucky. Their meat and carcass is essentially worthless so often their fins are carved off while they are still alive. The squirming body of the shark is then thrown back into the ocean to die a cruel death from blood loss and suffocation. It is not uncommon to kill one year old shark pups in this manner before they reach maturity.

Like most MMO’s, I thought this food item was merely a reference to Asian culture and could be overlooked. My opinion changed when I read a disturbing item description with an obvious political agenda. I find it interesting that SE justifies killing the Megalodon for it’s fins with the Shark Fin Soup item description:

“While not included in the soup, the remainder of the sharkflesh is salted and dried until rock hard, then shaved into paper-thin slices which, when boiled in hot water, create a savory soup that is the base of countless other recipes.”

This is an outright lie. A virtual lie because the only other recipe that includes Megalodon is a trophy recipe from GSM. The truth is that shark meat is not used as the broth in Shark Fin Soup or any other popular soup. It is not savory. Shark Fin Soup actually uses a pork or chicken broth. Ironically, the chicken broth is the only part of the soup that has any nutritional value or taste.

The fins make up about 5% of the shark’s body. Many Asian fisheries and docks have issued laws to prevent this barbaric slaughter of an animal for so little. There are laws that require fisherman to bring back the entire shark body back to the dock to be finned. However, given that the body has so little value it is more profitable to work around these laws than to comply with them. So there is an increase in black market sales, poor oversight of the fin to body ratio at docks, and fisheries that sail halfway across the world to South America and other less legislated countries. Docks and fishing ports that receive shark fins in this manner are usually put behind tall barbed wire fences with lookout towers. The prison-like security is mostly to prevent film crews from broadcasting these practices. There are no international fishing laws to prevent sharks from being finned alive at sea.

A conservative estimate is that 70-80 million sharks are killed every year for their fins alone. This is a significant environmental impact on our oceans’ eco system. The moral issue is that this practice is not to feed people. It is to provide a tasteless rubbery unbeneficial garnish to a bowl of chicken broth.

Do the right thing SE and stop perpetuating a lie. Please remove Shark Fin Soup from the game.

If any of you are interested in learning more, here are two common videos.
Yao Ming’s PSA:
http://youtu.be/mJG7RaLX-DM

Gordon Ramsay’s documentary:
http://youtu.be/4SAkq6lsnoE

[Ehayte]

This might be my favorite post ever.

Just for the record, I made that sentence up there ^^ as a post when the OP said, in its entirety:

Please remove Shark Fin Soup

Please remove Shark Fin Soup from the game.

I didn't know it was going to get so real.

[SendohJin]

it tastes so good though.

[Vejjiegirl]

it tastes so good though.

Actually according to some sources, Shark Fin soup is tasteless. People only eat the soup for the texture which is said to be chewy.

[Laeore]

But leave the rampant violence and murder in-game, amirite?

[PrimeEvilPanda]

But leave the rampant violence and murder in-game, amirite?

When the dumb blonde in a movie gets killed - no one cares. When the dog or any other animal gets killed, the feels pour in by the multitudes.

A statement to signify that every time I have to kill the little Apkallu I feel dirty, evil and unworthy. Whereas if the ground was littered with the remains of your carcass, I wouldn't bat an eyelid.

[Its_Elodie]

It's just...a game. I've gotta say, I wish people in real life were even a quarter as motivated about changing the issues in society and the world as we are here in Eorzea. There'd be more boys in bunny suits and less shark fin soup! Part of me is happy that I can actually enjoy this game and get away from the world and it's problems for a few hours. Wish every one else could do the same >.<

[Fuma]

But leave the rampant violence and murder in-game, amirite?

^THIS

Seriously though it's game, treat it as such. Stop trying to dig so deep into every little thing; I swear more and more people on the internet now seek out and try their hardest to find something to be offended by. If you feel that deeply insulted by this then don't support SE anymore by cancelling your subscription. And yes, that IS the best way to protest this as your subscription which will cut into their revenue will speak even louder than some misguided post on a video game's forum.

[Failia]

[Kinkoz]

Truly a shame that tumblr can't seem to comprehend the concept of "satire".