ViceZilla’s Views

Scotland has the Loch Ness Monster, Canada has Ogopogo, and now China’s Loch Ness monster has been sighted.

Or so Chinese state-run television says. Not just one, but more than a dozen huge creatures can be seen churning across Lake Kanasi in remote western China, leaving a foamy wake more like an enormous motorboat than a big fish.

The grainy film shows about 15 objects moving at high speed just beneath the surface of the lake and whipping the smooth blue water into a bubbling white frenzy. Chinese Central Television broadcast the video on its news channel, describing the footage shot by a passing tourist on July 5 as the clearest ever seen of a legendary beast that has been rumored for centuries to live in the depths of Lake Kanasi.

Professor Yuan believes that a lot more research is needed although China lacks the scientific equipment to make further studies. And it would be impossible to catch a fish of this size. “This fish will have tremendous strength.”

Personally I find this hard to believe because as we all know if it swims, slithers or crawls, some chef in mainland China would have made a meal out of it and sold it for a ridiculous amount of money! Or possibly the fins of this mysterious creature are tasteless and high in mercury content, thus making it a perfect soup ingredient!

Only one way to find out; get a Japanese fleet in there to do some “scientific fishing”, that should to do it!

Tags: Musings, The China Effect by vicezilla
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Just when you thought you’ve heard everything coming out of China in terms of what they won’t eat.

Another popular culinary craze in China has emerged. It is called “yin yang fish”. The dish consists of a carp covered with sweet and sour sauce, its body deep fried, but its head is still twitching! Yes, they fry and serve a live, twitching fish!

Chefs who prepare this barbaric dish claim it shows the customers how very fresh their food is!

If torturing sharks by cutting their fins off while they are still alive weren’t bad enough, now they have to deep fry fish and serve it while it is still twitching! Barbaric practices indeed!

Story Here

Tags: The China Effect by vicezilla
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Ever notice that there seems to be a recurring theme to the headlines in each day’s newspapers?

If it’s not Bush declaring “Executive Privilege” about one thing or another, it’s Cheney running roughshod over the laws and Constitution to cover his ass for one thing or another. Then there’s China.

The Chinese system of checks and balances, or the lack thereof continues to make the headlines on a regular basis. Like the two above examples, these stories are getting old and worn out, which is essentially saying it’s time to fix the problems, not just talk about fixing them!

Once again, the safety of China’s food exports has come under scrutiny because of harmful drugs and food additives found in the exported foods which were tested before entering the United States.

Today the FDA again banned the importation of Chinese farm-raised catfish, shrimp, basa, dace, and eel because they contained nitrofuran, malachite green, and fluoroquinolone, which the FDA said when used in food animals may increase antibiotic resistance to this critically important class of antibiotics.

First it was the pet food, then toothpaste, seafood, toys containing lead paint, then seafood again that China continues to send out to the world! This has got to stop.

Bottom line is, is if it says “made in China”, or “product of China”, and it’s meant to be taken internally, run like hell!

Tags: The China Effect by vicezilla
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As of today, Taiwan will ban the sale of products from Whale Sharks, including whale shark meat which is considered a delicacy.

Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture has announced that no further fishing of the whale shark will be allowed from next year.

Under the current ban, fishermen are obliged to return caught whale sharks to the ocean, whether the fish is dead or alive. Violators may face imprisonment or a fine.

Kudos to Taiwan for enacting this law, and abiding by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Too bad you couldn’t have delayed the sale of the two whale sharks to the Georgia Aquarium until this law was passed, then you would have saved two more whale sharks. But better late than never.

Are you listening China?

Tags: Stop the Finning! by vicezilla
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Yahoo has a one-billion-dollar stake in Alibaba.com. Alibaba is the New York Stock Exchange of shark fins on the Internet, moving thousands and thousands of tons of shark fins worldwide.

In a recent news report from KABC-TV in Los Angeles, it was discovered that the search engine giant Yahoo! has an investment in the online shopping company Alibaba.com.

Of course Alibaba.com is a Chinese company, based in eastern China. It’s claim to fame is the world’s largest online business to business marketplace for global and domestic China trade. One of the products it brokers is shark fins. A quick search of their website lists 21 companies who sell shark fins, lots of shark fins. Some companies boast the ability to supply 300kg (660 pounds) per month of shark fins!

Yahoo’s response to the news report was, “We know the sale of shark products is both legal in Asia and a centuries-old tradition. This issue is largely a cultural-practices one”.

That’s all well and fine Mr. Yahoo, but the sale of shark fins is also illegal throughout the majority of the world. This also is a “cultural-practices” one.

China has long been known for their censorship of companies and people who do not tow the political line in their country, so why should their companies be allowed to infect the world with their “cultural-practice” point of views that happen to be illegal and immoral?

One day the people of China will come to the realization of the damage their greed and ignorance has done to this world’s shark populations because of their “soup”. Hopefully that day will come sooner than later.

The news report is an excellent one. The accompanying video is also very well done, and should be required viewing by all those who still do not understand what “shark-finning” is all about.

Read the article here, as well as viewthe video.

PS: Have you seen Sharkwater yet?

Tags: Stop the Finning! by vicezilla
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