Table 13 - Table 17

Table 13 Malaysian imports of shark fins, salted but not dried or smoked and in brine

Table 14 Malaysian imports of shark fins

Table 15 Malaysian exports of shark fin dried whether or not salted but not smoked

Table 16 Malaysian exports of shark fin salted but not dried or smoked and in brine

Table 17 Malaysian exports of shark fin

Photo 2.1 Sawing vertebral off the caudal fin of Blue shark

Photo 2.2 Display of "raw " fins in a retail outlet

Photo 2.3 Decorations in restaurants using "cooked" and "raw" fins

Product: Dried pectoral fins

Name: Basking shark

(Cetorhinus maximus)

Price: US$ 1-1,650/ Kg for 4 piece set

(3'-5' pectoral fin)

Source: The Complete Book of Dried Seafood & Foodstuffs

Photo 3.1 Basking shark

Product: Dried pectoral, first dorsal and caudal fins.

Name: Black tipped shark

(Carcharinus limbatus)

Price: US$ 100/Kg for 4 piece set

(13 "pectoral fin)

Source: FAO Species Catalogue, Sharks of the World

Photo 3.2 Black tipped shark

Product: Dried caudal fin

Name: Blue Shark

(Prionace glauca)

Price: US$65-85/ Kg for 4 piece set

(18"-30" pectoral fin)

Comment: The vertebral column in the caudal fin is large and is usually sawed off by the importers before it is offered for sale. The percentage yield of fin needles is low and they are generally considered as being of inferior quality. It is popular because it is comparatively inexpensive.

Source: FAO Species Catalogue, Sharks of the World

Photo 3.3 Blue shark

Product: Dried pectoral, first dorsal and caudal fins

Name: Hammerhead shark

(Sphyrna spp.)

Price: US$ 70/ Kg for 4 piece set (14" pectoral fin)

Source: FAO Species Catalogue, Sharks of the World

Photo 3.4 Hammerhead shark

Product: Dried pectoral fins

Name: Mako shark

(Isurus oxyrinchus)

Price: US$ 70/ Kg for 4 piece set (14" pectoral fin)

Source: FAO Species Catalogue, Sharks of the World

Photo 3.5 Mako shark

Source: The Complete Book of Dried Seafood & Foodstuffs

Product: Dried pectoral fins

Name: Ryukyu shark

Price: US$75/ Kg for 4 piece set (13" pectoral)

Photo 3.6 Ryukyu shark

Product: Dried dorsal fin

Name: Sandbar Shark

(Carcharihnus plumbeus)

Price: US$ 1007 Kg for 3 piece set

Source: FAO Species Catalogue Sharks of the World

Photo 3.7 Sandbar shark

Product: Dried first dorsal, second dorsal and caudal fins

Name: Shovel-nose ray

(Rhinobatos djiddensis)

Price: US$30-120/ Kg for 3 piece set

(4"-14" pectoral fin).

Comment: This is one of the most popular and known fins in Malaysia. It is reputed to produce thick and long fin needles with a pleasing texture.

Source: Education Poster of Fish Species

Photo 3.8 Shovel-nose Ray

Product: Dried pectoral fins

Name: Tiger shark

(Galeocerdo cuvier)

Price: US$ 70/ Kg (14" pectoral fin)

Source: The Complete Book of Dried Seafood & Foodstuff

Photo 3.9 Tiger shark

Source: FAO Species Catalogue, Sharks of the World

Product: Dried caudal fin

Name: Whale shark

(Rhiniodon typus)

Price: US$230-265/ Kg for 4 piece set (36"-48" Pectoral fin)

Source: Complete Book of Dried Seafood and Foodstuff

Photo 3.10 Whale shark

Source: The Complete Book of Dried Seafood & foodstults

Product: Fish lips, dried. A glamorized name given to sharks' skin taken from the upper lobe of the caudal fin after removal of the denticle.

Price: US$27/ Kg retail

Comments: A product known and used in dishes in its own right. Now increasingly used to cook in sharks' fins dishes to increase the volume and reduce the cost.

Photo 4.1 Fish lips, dried

Product: Cartilaginous platelet of sharks fin, dried

Price: US$ 12.50 - US$ 45.80/ Kg retail depending on the appearance e.g. level of bleaching etc.

Comment: A by-product of the cleaning process of sharks' fins. Considered a waste material during the times of plenty, it has now found its way onto the dining table. The claim that shark cartilage is beneficial to health creates an awareness in the health conscious.

Photo 4.2 Cartilaginous platelet of shark fins, dried

Shark fins, "cooked"

Price: US$50-60/ Kg retail (2" caudal)

Comment: This product is most likely a mixture of small size fins from different species.

It is difficult to remove denticle from small fins. The processing loss is also high. Often the processing cost of small fins is higher than the raw material cost. Therefore small fins are becoming less popular with processors.

Photo 4.3 Shark fins, "cooked"

Product: Shark fin needles, dried in random order

Price: US$9/ pack retail

Comment: The product is wrapped in clear cellophane paper, with a label indicating the name of the packer/ distributer. No other information including weight is given

The product weighs 25 gm, thus making the price US$360/ Kg.

Photo 4.4 Shark fin needles, dried in random order

Product: Shark fin needles, dried in rows

Price: US$ 32/ pack retail

Comment: Only the top layer is arranged neatly as shown. The layers below appeared to be fish skin (fish lips) rather than fin needles. No net weight is stated on the cellophane wrapped product.

It weighs 150 g, thus making it US$213/ Kg

Photo 4.5 Shark fin needles, dried in rows

Product: Shark fins, frozen

Price: US$ 107/ Kg retail

The piece shown is 28.4gm

Photo 4.6 Shark fins, frozen

Product: Shark fin soup, powdered

Price: US$ 2.15/51 gm pack retail

Comment: The uncooked product was powdery. The picture on the box is not representative of the contents.

Photo 4.7 Shark fin soup, powdered

Product: Shark fin soup, canned (products of Singapore) Price: Retail price from left

1. Sharks' fins soup: US$2.70/ 450gm can

2. Sharks' fins soup for export to Japan, label to be affixed in Japan: US$10/450 gm can

3. Refined sharks' fins: US$7/ 450gm can

4. Sharks' fins soup: US$3.45/450 gm can

5. Superior sharks' fins soup: US$19.45/ 230gm glass bottle packed in an outer plastic container. A similar pack with much smaller fin-bundles is US$14.45/230 gm pack

Comments:

1. A thick soup containing 10 gm of individual fin needles, a hint of crab meat and some thin slices of Chinese mushrooms. Quantitatively, the picture on the label is not representative of the contents.

2. A light saline solution containing 180 gm of approximately 1.5 cm long fin needles in bundles.

3. A thick soup containing 30 gm of long individual fin needles. Quantitatively, the picture on the label is not representative of the contents.

4. A thick soup containing 20gm of individual fin needles, crab meat and chopped Chinese mushrooms. Quantitatively, the picture on the label is not representative of the contents.

5. A light soup base containing 20gm of approximately 6-8 cm long fin needles in bundles.

Photo 4.8 Shark fin soup and dishes, canned

Product: Shark fin dishes, pouched

(processed and packed in Thailand for a Malaysian company)

Price: Retail prices as follows:

Comments: Both the 210 gm packs contain sharks' fins of the very short and fine variety. The 340gm pack contains small fin needle bundles. Quantitatively, the pictures shown on the boxes do not justify the contents. (no Weight checks were conducted.)

Photo 4.9 Shark fin dishes, pouched

Product: Shark fins and "Shishamo" fish roe sashimi and sushis

Price: Sashimi: US$3.25/100 gm

Sushi: US$ 0.50/ piece

Comments: The attractive fin needles and fish roe come from Japan.

Photo 4.10 Shark fins and "shishamo" fish roe sashimi and sushis