Illegal Foods and How to Eat Them

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1-16-2007 @ 7:58AM

Willy said...

"...we do suggest that you travel abroad to exercise your food rights and chow down on all those goodies you can't have back home in America..."

Sorry, Neil. I disagree with you completely. Many food laws are in place to protect endangered or soon-to-be-endangered species. For example, illegal shark finning butchers between 73 and 100 million sharks each year -- so that some Asian cultures can enjoy shark fin soup (See: http://www.divester.com/2006/09/27/73-million-sharks-killed-each-year/ and http://www.divester.com/2006/12/06/australias-shark-populations-collapsing/). While many people may not *like* sharks and don't care what happens to them, removing a single species from an ecosytem -- especially an animal as important as a shark! -- can cause irreversible harm. Think: ecosystem collapse.

It's not a "right" to eat animals whose populations are dwindling rapidly. It's not a "right" to massacre entire species so that a few needy people can demonstrate their self-worth. What IS right is to spread the word about shark finning, its ecological consequences, and what you can do to stop it.

BTW -- cheilean sea bass is a protected species, too, and shouldn't be eaten. It's delicious, to be sure, but soon there won't be any left (http://www.endangeredfishalliance.org/chileanseabass.htm).

I think your posts are great, Neil, but this one was irresponsible.

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