“What has shark conservation have to do with saving our precious resource, water?” That was the burning question in my head when Ms Rachael See, a volunteer from Dunman High School explained to me what her game station was about-Sharks.

This happened at the Primary Schools Water Festival 2010, organised by Bukit View Primary School, held in conjunction with the Singapore International Water Week (26 June- 4 July).

Rachael explained that the frequent finning of these majestic marine animals has caused serious pollution of our waters that will affect our usage of water. These sharks are captured for their fins, and their bodies are thrown back into the ocean by the merciless hunters. Their decayed bodies not only dirties our waters but also creates an imbalanced marine ecosystem.

This emphasises WildAid’s point on the importance of sharks in our lives, and how sharks are at the pinnacle of the food chain in nearly every part of every ocean.

“Sharks groom many populations of marine life to the right size so that those prey species don’t cause harm to the ecosystem by becoming too populous,” she said.

The volunteers from Dunman High School were friendly and engaged the primary school students very well. The message that they aimed to drive across was to conserve water through tips that the students could do at home to play their part, and also save the sharks by not eating shark’s fin soup.

My family has all along not consumed shark’s fin soup due to the belief that it is cruel to the sharks. Now, I have a stronger message to spread around and educate the people around me. Not only does consuming shark’s fin harm the shark populations, it also affects the food that we depend on everyday.

Also, according to Wikipedia, consuming too much shark’s fin soup can lead to sterility in men. This is due to the fact that sharks have the highest level of mercury among fish.

Humans will always require water for life, for food, for transport. Diving, fishing and water sports are part of our lives and if our waters are polluted and sharks decimated, how sustainable will it be for all the species?

Just like how every drop of water goes a long way, every bowl of shark’s fin will make a big difference!

By Heather Chua, School of Film & Media Studies, Ngee Ann Polytechnic