Debate rages on social media over cooking of endangered rays on ‘MasterChef Thailand’

By Pratch Rujivanarom 
The Nation

 

 

The cooking of what appeared to be spotted eagle rays during a TV show on World Wildlife Day on Sunday has sparked social media outrage over the appropriateness of normalising the consumption of endangered species on mainstream media.

 

Despite experts confirming that fishing and consuming spotted eagle ray is completely legal in Thailand, as Thai law still does not include the species in the country’s protected animal list, many people argued that the use of endangered species as cooking material on a popular TV show jeopardised the efforts to conserve these and other rare animals.

 

Earlier on World Wildlife Day, which highlighted the conservation of marine biodiversity, the reality cooking-competition show “MasterChef Thailand” had selected stingrays as the main ingredient for the programme.

 

However, it was noticed after the show had aired that the rays that had been used in the TV show were likely to have been the rare spotted eagle variety.

 

The discovery sparked a hot debate on social media over the legality and appropriateness of consuming this endangered marine species, with one side strongly pointing out that the consumption of endangered rays was unacceptable, while the other side argued that such stingrays were not that rare and their consumption was widespread in the Kingdom.

 

Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a leading marine biologist at Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Fisheries, said the exact ray species that had been used on the TV show had not yet been confirmed, but it was very likely the fish were one of two spotted eagle species – Aetobatus ocellatus, which can be found in the tropical Indo-West Pacific region, or Aetobatus narinari, which live in the Atlantic Ocean.

 

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), both spotted eagle ray species have conservation status, as they are endangered by unsustainable fishing and habitat loss and their populations are in decline. 

 

Aetobatus ocellatus is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list, while Aetobatus narinari is listed as near-threatened, Thon said.

 

The marine biologist confirmed that despite the international conservation status of both species, their consumption on the TV show would have been legal, because these ray species were still not protected under Thailand’s animal conservation law.

 

Nevertheless, he said the use of endangered species with international conservation status as cooking material on mainstream media was inappropriate, because it may encourage the consumption of rare animal species and jeopardise biodiversity-conservation efforts.

 

As of press time, the “MasterChef Thailand” showrunner had not yet issued any clarification about the rays used in Sunday’s programme.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30365156

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-03-04

Another first for Thai TV/show/hosts... expect a belated apology sometime in the next few days !

every animal in Thailand is endangered apart from the soi dogs.the spotted eagle ray is a protected and is on the iucn red list but here it's just fish soup.shame on this backward nation who seem to have not an ounce of knowledge about conservation..

The Department of fisheries has announced that Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat (leading marine biologist at Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Fisheries) was incorrect. 

 

The Sting Ray used in the cooking was not on any endangered species list, Master Chef Thailands researchers checked this out in great detail.

 

The social media frenzy has been perpetuated by those not in the know and fuelled by accusations of someone hunting media attention (Thon Thamrongnawasawat).

 

That said, I agree that the consumption of a ‘Group’ (Sea Ray) where some of the family or specific species are endangered is clumsy and perhaps better avoided to prevent a bunch of politically correct snowflakes jumping (albeit incorrectly) on the ‘faux outrage’ bandwagon.

 

There is something like 220 species of Sting Ray of which 45 are recorded as being endangered. 

 

The Spotted Eagle Ray is considered ‘near threatened’ by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) - So, its not a threatened species, neither is it protected or illegal to fish. 

 

But... Don’t let facts get in the way of a good controversy.

Edited March 5, 20197 yr by richard_smith237