A Meat and Dairy Article from All-Creatures.org

Inside Indonesia's Shark Fin and Meat Trade

From WeAnimalsMedia.org
December 2022

Indonesia’s diverse and unique marine habitat is home to 20 percent of the world’s shark and ray species—many of which are endangered. In November, our photojournalist Resha Juhari documented the slaughter and sale of these majestic and often misunderstood creatures at Indonesia’s traditional markets.

We know that the existence of sharks helps to maintain the marine ecological system. Sharks play an important role in protecting coral reefs and fish populations. What if sharks become extinct? That’s why these visuals are important.”
― Resha Juhari, animal photojournalist

In Pangkalpinang, the capital of Bangka Belitung Island, there is a traditional market where workers cut and dry shark fins in the morning. Starting from small sharks to large ones, all the cuts are made on the spot. At this particular market, Juhari witnessed sharks being cut into pieces, their body parts separated depending on the selling value.

Dried shark fins are sold to collectors in Jakarta and exported abroad to Hong Kong, China and Singapore, selling for high prices. In 2022, the largest fins, up to 40 centimetres in length, could sell for USD $89.00/kg. Comparatively, meat sold from the rest of the shark fetches a price of approximately USD $2.25/kg. As of 2015, Indonesia was the single largest supplier of such products worldwide, catching and producing over 12.3 percent of the world’s supply.

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Please read the ENTIRE ARTICLE AND SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE.

At a traditional Indonesian market, a worker butchers a shark, removing the animal’s fins and separating them from the rest of the shark’s flesh. Sharks’ fins sell for considerably more than the other meat of these animals. Indonesia, 2022. Resha Juhari / We Animals Media 

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