AN ENTREPRENEUR is circling Britain’s shark population, preparing to make a killing in the Far East’s restaurant trade.

Trevor Page, a fish dealer from Lowestoft, Suffolk, plans to catch and kill about 300 sharks in British waters each week, starting next month. Mr Page has drawn up a contract to export dorsal fins to restaurateurs in Hong Kong and the rest of China. Shark’s fin soup is a prized delicacy there. Conservationists said that they were appalled at the plan, which, they said, would upset the balance of marine life around Britain.

Ali Hood, the director of conservation of the Shark Trust, a charity, has written to Ben Bradshaw, the Fisheries Minister, demanding that Mr Page’s plan be stopped.

Miss Hood said: “Sharks are an integral element of a healthy marine ecosystem and the suggestion that UK vessels should devastate our native population for the satisfaction of foreign markets is galling. EU vessels currently supply in the region of 27 per cent of the fins entering Hong Kong markets, a shocking statistic, but one that to date UK vessels have made little or no contribution to. It would be a lamentable step backwards if a UK company were to encourage this abhorrent trade, marketing the fins of an already vulnerable species.”

Mr Page, 55, a fisherman and wholesaler for 40 years, plans to catch the tope shark, or Galeorhinus galeus, also known as the soupfin shark, which is not protected by law.

The tope rarely comes into contact with man because it usually swims at depths of 200ft-800ft. It feeds on fish and crustaceans. It was seen as a delicacy in California and Australia, but populations have been reduced by overfishing.

Mr Page said that his company, W.E.T. Mullender, would use lines to catch the sharks. While the fins will be exported to the Far East, he will export most of the flesh to Sri Lanka. He will also consider hooking other sharks including smoothhands, another native to British waters.

He said: “The shark population has dipped in the East, and we have a good supply, so it only seems right that we come to an arrangement.

“I will only target mature tope, not younger ones, and want to work with conservationists, not against them. The tope is a lovely tasting fish. We have a lot of them, so why not sell them? I don’t understand the problem.”

IN THE SOUP

600g of tope shark
2 cloves of plump garlic
1 bay leaf
Olive oil
60g of flour
Bunch of coriander
Crusty bread
Vinegar to taste
Salt to taste

Wash sharkmeat, slice thinly. Fry garlic and some coriander with bay leaf and splash of vinegar. Stir in flour. Add the meat and enough water to cover. Bring to boil, simmer until cooked. Season. Garnish with chopped coriander

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