Fake Shark Fins Made From Pork

AFP/Nikko Yuba Seizo Co

Oct. 19, 2007 -- A Japanese company is launching fake shark fins in China, hoping to tap a market as prices for real ones rise amid concerns the species is being hunted to extinction.

Shark fin is considered one of the highest-end delicacies in Chinese cuisine and also fetches high prices in select Japanese restaurants.

Nikko Yuba Seizo Co. a Japanese food-processing company, said it had developed artificial shark fins made out of pork gelatin. Its top executives returned Friday from a two-day trip to China to introduce the products.

"Shark fin prices have been rising constantly in recent years due to a fall in the volume traded, so we decided to develop an artificial fin," said Tadashi Kozuka, a top official of the company which also trades real shark fins imported from Indonesia, Brazil and elsewhere.

"We visited Shanghai and Dalian -- big cities where wealthy Chinese people live -- to seek trading partners. I guess fins sell well among rich people," he said.

But he said the artificial version would also appeal to Chinese who would not be able to afford the real fins, which are served as a luxury at weddings and other important occasions.

Kozuka said the company had long queues of customers when it first presented its product in China at a trade fair in June in the southern city of Guangzhou.

The price of the gelatin-made fin costs only one-tenth of the real one, or about 1,500 yen ($15) per kilogram when sold wholesale, he said.

Controversy over China's appetite for shark's fin rose last year when the country's most famous sports personality, basketball star Yao Ming, called for a boycott of the dish to save the fish from extinction. Some species of shark are now endangered.

Environmentalists have campaigned to stop "finning," when fishermen catch sharks and cut off their fins before throwing the carcasses back into the sea. The practice is blamed for preventing an accurate picture of shark numbers.

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My Thoughts:

On the one hand, a viable substitute for "real" shark fins could provide an acceptable choice for Asian consumers who want to be environmentally conscious. With much lower prices, this could put a dent in the expensive "real" shark fin trade.

On the other hand, if more consumers start eating "fake" shark fins, this could wet their appetite for the real deal. As these consumers increase their disposable income, they may switch to real fins, thereby increasing long term demand for "real" shark fins.

What do you think?

Shawn

you bring up some very interesting points ... is this comparable to crab sticks at all ?

I originally thought of the vegetarian sausages (linda mcartny etc) but decided it was unfair to use that as the comparison market.

I think it is a great alternative myself. However, for it to succeed, we need two things : shark fin (real) to be made illegal (making it black market and so even more expensive and harder to get, as well as pork fin to be marketed as real shark fin ...like they did with crab sticks and bay scallops (stingray wing) ... that way it will merge unnoticed.

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My Thoughts:

 

On the one hand, a viable substitute for "real" shark fins could provide an acceptable choice for Asian consumers who want to be environmentally conscious. With much lower prices, this could put a dent in the expensive "real" shark fin trade.

 

On the other hand, if more consumers start eating "fake" shark fins, this could wet their appetite for the real deal. As these consumers increase their disposable income, they may switch to real fins, thereby increasing long term demand for "real" shark fins.

 

What do you think?

I am not sure if it will impact one way or the other, with the exception that it may help. Meaning it seems that shark fin is cultural/status based and not necessarily tied to how it tastes.

So if someone would otherwise purchase shark fin, I do not think providing the alternative would cause more people to purchase shark fin, but could provide both and inexpensive and good subsitute for those who actually enjoy shark fin. I do not view it as the first free dime bag being on the dealer ;-)

Sort of along the lines of some great soy and tofu products (burgers, steaks, etc.) that I have had. Every day they seem to get better to the point they taste real or just about real, enough so that they are something that are great tasting, healthier substitutes for the "real" thing. There are some "chicken" and "beef" kabobs that were unreal, and make the real thing obsolete from a taste/culinary experience (at least for me).

pork fins...hehe giles many images spring to mind with that terminology. maybe we could get some cult asian movie stars to make a film about mysterious sacred pigs that are amphibious and have fins....then these new pork fins would be all the rage.

well this is a hard one. i think we'd have to find some studies on "vegan" or "vegetarian" alternatives that have potentially replaced real meat sources to even attempt to analyse what might happen here.

i think this can only be a good development for the meanwhile as it has the potential to relieve the pressure on demand for real fins. i don't think it will cause people to develop a taste for it, as far as i am aware, SFS has no taste apart from chicken stock added to give it some.

hey there's an idea for the sequal, chickens from outer space with fins instead of wings. they would be able to fly a lot faster and would take over the pig fin gods.

(no insults intended from my 'humour'...if i don't find some way to lighten up right now i think i will begin

to crack up).

My first thought, $15/kilo for pork gelatin. Wow, what a bargain. Man, I'm in the wrong business.

and make the real thing obsolete from a taste/culinary experience (at least for me).

When pigs fly!

My first thought, $15/kilo for pork gelatin. Wow, what a bargain. Man, I'm in the wrong business.

When pigs fly!

LOL, try it, you will like it. Okay maybe not QUITE exact, but a couple of been so close that it is enough not to notice the difference. Really. Of course there are spices and stuff on these things