VOA标准英语2012 SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - Efforts to End Shark Finning Make Progress

 

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - Efforts to End Shark Finning² Make Progress

BARBARA KLEIN: This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I’m Barbara Klein.

BOB DOUGHTY³: And I’m Bob Doughty. Each year, fishermen catch millions of sharks and cut off their fins⁴. The animal is unable to swim and often left to die in the ocean.

Shark fins are used to make shark fin¹ soup, which is popular in parts of Asia. Today, we tell about the shark fin trade. And we report on efforts to protect shark populations.

(MUSIC)

BARBARA KLEIN: Industry experts and wildlife activists⁵ say more than seventy-three million sharks are killed every year -- mostly for their fins -- to make shark fin soup. That is about two hundred thousand sharks every day. Shark fin soup is traditionally served at large gatherings⁶ in parts of East Asia. It also can be found at many Asian restaurants around the world.

Recently, a team of scientists and environmental groups collected shark fin soup from restaurants across the United States. They wanted to study the genetic⁷ material in the soup. The scientists examined fifty-one soup samples from fourteen American cities. DNA⁸ testing identified eight shark species, some of them endangered.

Liz Karan leads the international shark conservation campaign at the Pew Environment Group.

LIZ KARAN: “The major finding is that there are endangered species in shark fin soup being sold in the United States. So, there is one sample taken from Boston that had scalloped hammerhead... Scalloped hammerhead is considered endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature’s red list for endangered species.”

BOB DOUGHTY: Sharks are important to the health of the ocean. They eat injured and diseased fish. Their hunting means other fish do not become too great in number. This protects other creatures and plants in the ocean. Shark finning is banned in the United States. Federal law requires sharks to be brought to port before their fins are cut. But shark fishing and the import of fins are permitted in most states. Five states have banned shark fin products. Yet finning is taking place in other areas of the world. Liz Karan says the ban is difficult to enforce.

LIZ KARAN: “Overfishing of sharks is a global problem. Hong Kong is currently the hub of the shark fin trade, and there are about eighty some-odd countries that contribute to that trade.”

The Pew Environment Group says the number of sharps has dropped almost eighty percent worldwide in the past sixty years. The group believes sanctuaries⁹, or safe places, for sharks could help, especially when the animals are young and defenseless. Liz Karan says sharks are at risk for a number of reasons. 

LIZ KARAN: “They have very long life spans and often don’t reach sexual maturity¹⁰ until their teens or twenties, and then when they do reproduce, some species only have maybe a couple of pups at a time. So their ability to repopulate and recover from overfishing pressures is very small.”

BARBARA KLEIN: The Humane¹¹ Society International leads one of the largest campaigns to protect sharks. Iris¹² Ho is the group’s wildlife campaigns manager.

IRIS HO: “Over ninety percent of the world’s shark fin consumption takes place in China, and Hong Kong alone handles about fifty percent of the global trade in shark fins.”

Iris Ho says the United States is the second-largest market for shark fins.

IRIS HO: “According to, to the government records, in two thousand ten, thirty-four metric tons of shark fins were imported into the U.S.”

Sharks have been alive for four hundred million years. They were living even before the earliest dinosaurs¹³. But some scientists believe they may be unable to survive the current demand for shark-fin soup. 

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY: Shark fin has been considered a special treat in Chinese culture since the Ming emperors first demanded it more than four hundred years ago. However, as we noted¹⁴ earlier, the methods of harvesting the fish mean shark populations are increasingly endangered.

Earlier this year in Hong Kong, more than one hundred fifty activists gathered to publicize the environmental and animal welfare issues linked to the shark fin trade. The activists called on the new head of the Hong Kong government to ban the use of shark fin at official dinners.

BARBARA KLEIN: Rachel Vickerstaff is with the Hong Kong Shark Foundation. She says the Hong Kong shark fin market is worth more than five hundred million dollars a year. Earlier this year, she explained what the activists hoped to do.

RACHEL VICKERSTAFF: “Our objectives today really are to get some public awareness¹⁵ of what we’re trying to do and to let C.Y. (, C.Y. Leung – the new head of the Hong Kong government) know if he needs to see why sharks need saving.”

Sharks do receive some protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, known as CITES. But Rachel Vickerstaff says the agreement must be strengthened.

RACHEL VICKERSTAFF: “The Hong Kong government has hidden behind CITES, which is pretty ineffective. CITES only has international trade restrictions¹⁶ on three species of sharks. But the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the IUCN, lists well over a hundred species of sharks as already threatened or near threatened with extinction¹⁷.”

BOB DOUGHTY: Shark fin is served in soups at business and social gatherings as a sign of social standing¹⁸. A bowl of shark fin soup can cost more than one hundred dollars. The dorsal¹⁹ fin of a whale shark can sell for up to twenty-thousand dollars. As China’s economy grows, more and more Chinese are serving shark fin soup as a sign to show their increasing wealth. The World Wildlife Fund says China’s economic success has caused the trade in shark fins to grow about five percent a year. The group says “serving shark fin soup may be a sign of wealth, but it comes at a price that our oceans cannot afford.” 

Wildlife activists say the overfishing of sharks has a bad effect on the ocean environment. But they say there is some good news. Younger generations in China are increasingly unwilling²⁰ to eat shark fin.

Nina Whittaker is one of them. She is a student at Li Po Chun United World College in Hong Kong. She says many young people object to the way fishermen harvest shark fins.

NINA WHITTAKER: “They will take sharks on board and cut their fins off and throw the live sharks without their fins overboard. And they can’t swim without them so they’ll end up drowning and it’s a very painful and unpleasant death. And so you just have piles and piles and piles of fins, and the hundreds and hundreds of shark carcasses in the sea. Such a waste!”

Nina Whittaker says she does not even enjoy the taste of shark fin soup.

NINA WHITTAKER: “Having shark fins in your soup, it’s a cultural thing to some extent -- but it’s not an excuse. They have high levels of mercury in them, and they don’t really have that much taste: it’s basically chicken soup with jelly, so…”

BARBARA KLEIN: Gary Stokes is with the wildlife conservation group Sea Shepherd. He says the value of shark fins puts them in the same grouping as illegal drugs and weapons. He recently filmed Hong Kong businessmen drying tens of thousands of shark fins on the city’s sidewalks.

GARY STOKES: “A shipment had come in, and it was obviously a little bit still damp, and they needed to move it on to China. But, instead of the secrecy²¹ they normally have -- which it’s all kept behind closed doors, on roofs, and -- it was actually in a main highway, in a street, so…Just a rough estimation there, there was forty-one thousand fins there.”

Wildlife groups say forty respected scientists signed a statement in support of ending the shark fin trade. The statement was given to the Hong Kong government earlier this year. 

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY: In early September, the Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific announced it would stop shipping²² unsustainably sourced shark products. The company said its decision was based on the vulnerable nature of sharks, their rapidly declining population, and the effects of overfishing for their parts and products. It added, “We believe that we now have compelling evidence that the majority of shark fishing is incompatible²³ with our position on sustainable development.” 

Environmental groups praised Cathay Pacific’s decision. But people in the shark fin industry saw it as a threat to their businesses. 

BARBARA KLEIN: Earlier, the Chinese government announced plans to ban shark fin soup from being served at official dinners. The move was seen as an attempt to protect shark populations and reduce spending at government events.

In July, the Communist Party-controlled Global Times said it would take about three years to remove shark fins from the menus of official events. The Reuters news service reported that some Chinese reacted angrily to the announcement. One man asked, “You have to wait three years to do this?” Another said “ordinary people eat starch²⁴ noodles.” He said “officials use the people’s money to eat shark fin.”

Chinese media say over ninety-five percent of the yearly harvest of shark fin is eaten on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Chinese ban would only apply to government activities and would not affect the eating of shark fin by the general population.

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY: This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Christopher Cruise, with reporting from Zulima Palacio and Ivan Broadhead. Our producer was June Simms. I’m Bob Doughty.

BARBARA KLEIN: And I’m Barbara Klein. You can comment on this story on our website, www.voanews.cn. You also can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and iTunes and at our YouTube Channel, all at VOA Learning English. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

1 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

2 finning   

n.鱼鳍式划水（仰卧水面，两脚并拢，两手放身旁上下拍水使身体向头的方向移动）

参考例句：

• Fish could be sighted finning near the surface. 我们可以看到鱼把鳍露出水面。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• A shark was finning around the surface of the ocean. 一条鲨鱼把鳍露出海面游动。 来自互联网

3 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

4 fins   

[医]散热片；鱼鳍；飞边；鸭掌

参考例句：

• The level of TNF-α positively correlated with BMI,FPG,HbA1C,TG,FINS and IRI,but not with SBP and DBP. TNF-α水平与BMI、FPG、HbA1C、TG、FINS和IRI呈显著正相关，与SBP、DBP无相关。 来自互联网
• Fins are a feature specific to fish. 鱼鳍是鱼类特有的特征。 来自辞典例句

5 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

7 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

8 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

9 sanctuaries   

n.避难所( sanctuary的名词复数 )；庇护；圣所；庇护所

参考例句：

• The designation of special marine reserves and marine sanctuaries shall be subject to the State Council for approval. 海洋特别保护区、海上自然保护区的确定，须经国务院批准。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After 1965 he acquiesced when they established sanctuaries on that soil. 1965年以后，他默认了他们在那块土地上建立庇护所。 来自辞典例句

10 maturity   

n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期

参考例句：

• These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
• This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。

11 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

12 iris   

n.虹膜，彩虹

参考例句：

• The opening of the iris is called the pupil.虹膜的开口处叫做瞳孔。
• This incredible human eye,complete with retina and iris,can be found in the Maldives.又是在马尔代夫，有这样一只难以置信的眼睛，连视网膜和虹膜都刻画齐全了。

13 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

15 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

16 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

17 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

18 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

19 dorsal   

adj.背部的，背脊的

参考例句：

• His dorsal fin was down and his huge pectorals were spread wide.它的脊鳍朝下耷拉着，巨大的胸鳍大张着。
• The shark's dorsal fin was cut off by the fisherman.鲨鱼的背鳍被渔夫割了下来。

20 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

21 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

22 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

23 incompatible   

adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的

参考例句：

• His plan is incompatible with my intent.他的计划与我的意图不相符。
• Speed and safety are not necessarily incompatible.速度和安全未必不相容。

24 starch   

n.淀粉；vt.给...上浆

参考例句：

• Corn starch is used as a thickener in stews.玉米淀粉在炖煮菜肴中被用作增稠剂。
• I think there's too much starch in their diet.我看是他们的饮食里淀粉太多了。