According to international environmental groups, Taiwan is the third and fourth largest consuming countries for sea cucumbers and shark fins, respectively. However, both sea creatures are facing extinction threats because of human's overharvest. To further protect the endangered species and the marine ecology, environmentalists are once again calling the public to stop the trade or consumption of these marine animals.

According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations statistics, Taiwan is among the world's top three importers of sea cucumber.

Sea cucumber contains no cholesterol and is a popular dish in Taiwan, but grows extremely slowly.

As it takes sea cucumbers three years to reach a size where they have economic value, the world's sea cucumber population has plummeted in recent years.

According to environmental group Traffic, Taiwan also catches the fourth highest number of sharks in the world and accounts for 5.8% of the world's catch.

Shark finning is an extremely cruel and inhumane practice, and fishermen often ignore the protected status of certain shark species.

An estimated 70.3 million sharks are harmed by shark finning per year, and scholars and environmental groups are calling on the Taiwanese to curb their consumption and prioritize environmental preservation over their appetites.

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