Let's eat shark

Title

Let's eat shark

Creator

Tamesis, Pablo T.

Language

English

Source

Panorama XIV (5) May 1962

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

A sure-fire formula to spark an argument among Filipino fishermen is to insist that one spot is better than others for catching fish. For the islands form an integral part of the East Indies, with its wonderful coral reefs, its vast shoreline of every ima ginable character, its lagoons and great marine abysses — . the habitat of the greatest vaPablo T. Tgmesis riety of ffshes in the whole wide world. The Philippines occupies a r nrmc'i Strategic position in the geof f ' X graphic distribution of fishes. ■ * -^* - * - * • The largest fish EAT The largest fish in the world, the whale shark, as well as the smallest fish, the goby of Lake Buhi, are found in this country. qtt a TFr Why, in spite of these fishX.f-y 71 fl t\ ery resources, we lag in fish z production could best be ex plained by the meager devel opmental efforts of the fish eries by the government, and the apathy and inaction of in dividual fishermen to improve their economic status thru self-selp. Poor People, Rich Country No less than two million people are dependent on fish ing and the ancillary indus tries for their livelihood. The deplorable economic condi tions that plague fishery workers are an eye-opener to the national situation today May 1962 27 of a poor people in a rich country. The Philippines has vast waters and is proximate to the world’s best fishing grounds. By-products from the sea go to waste because the majority lack the knowledge of its uti lization. Converted into fer tilizers, leather, livestock fod der, fish meal, vetsin, liver oils, etc., these by-products from marine sources will ge nerate new industries, create job opportunities to absorb a growing labor force, augment the per capita income, besides contributing immeasurably to the health and productivity of fisherfolk. The nutritional deficiency of 28-million fish-eaters is a matter of grave concern. Fish and fishery imports in 1960 to cover the production de ficiency of 36.3%, to the tune of P44 (M), is a heavy drain on dwindling dollar reserves. Far-reaching solutions other than stop-gap measures are vitally needed to meet square ly the increasing demand for cheap protein food by a snow balling population. We have to shop some where for cheap but highfood value protein materials to ensure economic growth and the people’s well-being. Malnutrition is rampant among the rural population because of protein deficiency in their diet. Such sources of animal protein as milk, cheese, beef, poultry and pork are luxury items to low-in come groups. Probably inspired by les sons from the Biblical times when manna sustained men, food technologists after years of intensive research and ex perimentation, have evolved a highly nutritious fish flour. The daily fare of average-in come Filipino families which is often deficient in protein and minerals can now be en riched with fish flour manu factured from trash fish like sharks, anchovies, etc. The problem of food insuf ficiency makes it compellingly urgent that we become shark-eaters to tap a potential resource of protein-rich food, and also rid our seas of this under-water menace. Commercial Possibilities Our shark fishery is virtual ly untapped. The first com mercial utilization of shark before the war was 172.61 tons . of shark fins valued at P85,000 and exported mainly to China and Malaya. After the war, in 1947, a production of only 9,699 kilograms was re corded. The slump was due to the stoppage of exports to Red China which used to be our heaviest importer. Chi nese epicures in Hongkong, 28 Panorama Singapore, Bangkok, Djakarta and Manila are responsible for the brisk trade in shark fin. Exploratory surveys under taken pursuant to the Philip pine Rehabilitation Act of 1946 revealed a good shark catch by means of long line in most fishing grounds. Dr. A.W. Herre recorded 52 spe cies of sharks found in Phil ippine seas. The shark menagerie in cludes hammerheads, whale, dogfish, cow sharks, and ti ger sharks, man-eaters and plankton-feeders. Their habit at are the rivers, lakes, shores or the'deep sea. Tiger sharks are the most abundant spe cies, constituting approximate ly 84;%. The composition of tiger sharks is hide, 10%; liver, 22%; meat, including backbone, suitable for fish meal manufacture, 59%; fins, 4%; blood and miscellaneous matter, 5%. They extend well over 30 feet while the white sharks grow to as much as over a ton in weight. Jellied Shark Meat — A Gourmet’s Delight Many of our people shun tu na, a prize seafood of Ameri cans who dub it “the chicken of the sea.” Local fish-eaters may find the thought of eat ing shark meat repulsive. But well-prepared dishes of shark meat are a gourmet’s delight. Of course, the alche my has long ceased to be a culinary secret. It may take some time, though, to educate the palate of many who still have unfavorable, pre-con ceived notions against sharks, sawfish, and stingrays. Sharks have no bones; in stead they contain cartilages which form the base for shark fin soup — a Chinese delica cy. The Japanese have evolv ed a fish jelly, something like meat loaf or bologna without casing, utilizing fish meat in stead of beef or pork. Gene rally called “kamabobo”, the fish jelly product is mainly shark meat. It is preferred all over Japan because of its strong elasticity, very essen tial in fish jelly production. From the fish paste called surimi, various types of jelly products are formed. Kama bobo is semicircular, Hmpaen square-shaped, chikuwa tube form. The fish sausage which recently gained wide accep tance is a jelly product stuff ed in rubber hydrochloride or vinylidene chloride casing. For the table, kamabobo is steamed, chikuwa is broiled and satsumaage is fried. Fish jelly products are an excellent food being rich in animal pro tein. To make the perfect victual from the nutritional point of vi_ew, fish jelly pro May 1962 29 ducts may be enriched with vitamins and minerals. Edible Fish Meal The exorbitant cost of ice precludes the economical stor age of low-grade fish. Sharks caught in large quantities in the many coastal regions are often discarded for lack of suitable markets, coupled with the dearth of refrigera tion facilities. Similar species will enable reduction plants established in strategic areas to operate profitably. Conse quently, the importation of fish meal for the fast-develop ing poultry and livestock in dustries will be drastically curtailed. The most important and im mediate local utilization of sharks, however, should be human food and livestock fod der because we are critically short of these commodities. Consider further that meat is the largest component of shark. Today, large quanti ties of sharks landed by fish ermen are not bought because of popular prejudice. Enter prising fisherfolk could cash on these unsalable fish by converting it to fish meal. We may use fish meal as an imal feed until it has gained popular acceptance as an item of diet. Important considerations in the manufacture of fish meal for human consumption are freshness of'raw material, ex cellent manufacturing and hygienic storage conditions. If not properly processed as, for instance, when exposed to prolonged heating at high temperature, severe damage to amino acids and vitamins occur and life-giving elements are destroyed. Dehydrated Shark Meat The manufacture of dehy drated shark meat is a signi ficant step in the optimum utilization of the less commer cial species that abound in our marine waters. Having prac tically no commercial value in this country, shark meat converted into the vetsin would be a boon to the pro tein-starved millions in the rural areas. We must stop reckoning starvation in terms of rice alone because we can also starve from lack of fish. Fish vetsin is prepared from the fish muscles of sharks and other cheap species, its pro tein content is relatively high and would indefinitely keep at ordinary temperature. The method involved in its prepa ration is simple and practical, requiring no expensive equip ment. It is done by pre cooking the fish flesh, mixing with sugar and condiments, then dried and smoked. The cheapest source of pro tein, it is very rich in dietary 30 Panorama essential amino acids, the builders of the human body. Its protein content and carbo hydrates are much higher percentage-wise than otheT animal food like dried beef, broiled lamb, smoked bacon and ham, veal chops, broiled chicken or duck. Its importanty uses are as main ingredient for cheap, nutritious soup; digestible food for convalescents; and sandwich spread. Like an aperitif, it enhances the taste and food value of, and whets appetite for, native vegetable preparations. Cod Liver Oil Substitute Oil extracted from liver of sharks is purified and blended with peanut oil to a uniform Vitamin A content of 3,000 i.u./g. This oil has a ready market as substitute for cod liver oil because the demand is greater than the supply. The oversized liver of sharks, approximately 20% of the total weight, besides being rich in Vitamin A is suitable for soap manufacture, in tanning hides for leather, and in making paint. When properly refined, it has medi cinal uses. Thus, the devel opment of a shark fishery and the installation of more liver-oil plants will be suc cessive steps to cope with the increasing requirements. of the nation’s diversified indus tries. Shark Skin to Leather The pelt of animals has va ried uses to man, but practi cally little or no importance is given to the hianufacture and use of skins from aqua tic sources. In the hands of a skilled craftsman, skins of aquatic animals become at tractive belts, hand-bags, shoes, briefcases, wallets, watch fobs, key holders, etc. Sharks and other large fishes are good sources of these raw materials. This unusual leather not only excels in beauty but has a tensile strength and dura bility three times that of cat tle hide. The different spe cies of sharks caught locally have a special kind of com plexion that gives the hide a peculiar and attractive grain. Their colors range from dark brown to a soft, warm gray. Because our marine waters teem with them, an attempt should now be made to uti lize dark skins on commercial scale. This industry should be encouraged, developed and maintained at peak production levels considering the.pecu niary and employment bene fits that could be derived from it. Three weeks after the hides are tanned, the pieces are ready to be fashioned into handsome, long-wearing arti cles. Shark skins are easily May 1962 31 tooled into numerous articles of merchandise. In Taiwan, enterprising b u s i n e s smen using shark skin as raw ma terial turn out $700,000 worth of articles annually. Scales of sharks are diffe rent from those of fishes. They are closely-set bony pro jections with enamel, just as teeth are. This hard-skin covering is called shagreen which furniture-makers still use as abrasives even after the invention of sand-paper. Benefits Unlimited Maximum utilization of products and by-products from the shark fishery will create vast job opportunities as well as myriad products for local consumption and ex port. Fishermen use -shark blood to preserve fishing nets in place of coal tar. Shark teeth have decorative uses in some places. When dried and ground, the offal and viscera serve as poultry feed and first class fertilizer. The entire skeletal structure of the shark can be charred and reduced to supplementary feeds. PracTHOUGHTS ON THE . . . view, they are capable of ex ploiting indiscriminately our natural resources in utter dis regard of the disastrous ef fects which such thoughtless acts could bring upon the tically all components of the shark are useful if we know how. We have shown how every portion of the detested fish is utilized for cheap protein food, animal fodder, agricul tural fertilizer, industrial raw materials and other export commodities. The production of fish flour, dehydrated fish meat, fish sausage will make available an inexhaustible supply of cheap protein food to our ra pidly-increasing population. People repelled by its nau seating scent are in for an other surprise. Dehydrated shark meat, fish flour and fish jelly products do not have the expected fishy smell. Many may not know it yet but deodorized fish flour con taining 87% protein, 3% cal cium and 2.4% phosphorous, is the basic ingredient for fish-enriched bakery products like galletas, biscocho, apa, polvoron, and even ice cream! With these advantages, who can resist the lure of shark fishing? (Continued from page 22) country. They go to the ex tent of serving at times alien interests of the kind which are exclusively concerned with the promotion of their own (Continued on page 34) 32 Panorama

pages

27-32

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