Shark fin soup is a delicacy in Asia but demand for the meal has increased the practice of shark finning.
The world's population of Sharks has decreased by 50% in the past 15 years. And the main reason? Yes, you guessed right - shark finning is to blame.
While Shark fins on their own are almost without taste, they are still popular in Chinese cuisine, especially in shark fin soup.
This begs the question, why do sharks have their fins cut off? It is believed, quite incorrectly at that, that sharkfins possess medicinal qualities found nowhere else. Demand is directly related to this belief.
Learn What is Sharkfin Soup?
Still, beyond overfishing what is the problem?
The problem and controversy stems from the method of how the fins are cut from living sharks that are then thrown back into the ocean where they die a slow and painful death. This is what shark finning is. The shark meat itself is not used for anything and is therefore of no value to the fishermen who are paid handsomely to provide restaurants making shark fin soup.
Beyond the humanitarian element, as in recognizing a barbaric practice against a living creature, sharks are important components of the food chain. They regulate and maintain balance in their eco-systems. In other words, without the sharks who areas of the ocean will be hurt.
Gordon Ramsay eats Shark Fin Soup
What do you think? Is Shark fin Soup delicious and if so, is it delicious enough for the sharks to be treated this way?
What can be done to end shark finning Worldwide?
Give us your opinion in the comments below.
Take action
Go to Bite Back or Stop Shark Finning
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Not only is this cruel to the sharks, but it looks disgusting. I’m all in for trying new kinds of food, just not when it looks like this – I mean literally it looks like Poo in a bowl.
I can only agree. It does not look good. Hopefully We can have shark finning band in Europe soon.
I’m probably one of the few passionate scuba divers in the world who has actually tried shark fin soup (and dare to admit it).
It was a great soup, but nothing more then that. The soup would have been equally great without the fin and just the delicious vegetables soup.
Drop the killing and just add a look a like piece of nothing into the soup. Nobody would ever find out 🙂
Hi Mickey,
Thanks for sharing your experience. I have never tried and will never find out how it taste. I think it is a good idea to swap the fin to a look-a-like. It might save a shark or two!
Torben
I was once thrown out of a restaurant in Hong Kong for “making a scene” when I found out that they served sharks and that the nabour table was having shark fin soup.
First I told the waiter off and then started talking loudly about how discussing it was. Loud enough for the next table to hear me.
Then they kick me and my party out. Fine by me I was gonna leave anyway 🙂
I dont really get why it’s such a big problem. We eat cows and chickens every day. And a lot of fish, tunna, scrimps and so on.
Sharks kill people without a thought, why should we not do the same. I have never tried shark fins, but giving the chance I think I would try it.
Hi Kroll,
I’m sorry to hear you having this opinion. Sharks is a natural part of the under water marine ecosystem. Take out one part of an ecosystem and it changes drastic, often to the worse. Sharks are killed in massive amounts, the fins are taking off and the rest thrown back out in the water. Many shark species are now close to extinction.
Hope you will look more into the problem of shark finning, and maybe change your opinion.
Torben
Sharks do not go around purposefully looking for humans to kill, they mistake us for their normal prey. Also we are invading their world, they are not invading our world, and the number of sharks killed each year dwarfs the number of human deaths. As for chicken and cows, they are specifically raised for human consumption. Tuna and shrimp, the whole body is used and they reproduce at a much much higher rate than sharks, although their sustainability may soon come into question if mankind does not slow down.
And lastly the demise of sharks will have a far greater impact on the ocean Eco system than if mankind were to disappear.
Hi DIVEIN.com
I love Gordon Ramsay taking up this fight. I love his shows and this only make me love him even more.
Famous people always gives a plus in the fight against the bad in the world.
Hi Michael,
Thanks for your comment! So do we, this is a good fight to take up, and by my opinion he is doing a great job!
Is shark soup really still an issue? Seems like the world has been talking about it for years now and many countries have banned shark fishing. Why does it keep being a problem for Asians to understand it?
Hi Danny, thank you for commenting on this issue.
This is still a very big problem for the population of sharks in the world. Around the world there is many different cultures and they have many different traditions, among one eating shark fin soup. This is done even sharks are nearing extinction, by raising this subject we can, hopefully, stop this one day!
Due keep in mind, that Europe is one of the biggest exporters of Shark fins, and in the US it is still legal to “fin” sharks many places.
Very sad to see this still continuing. Check out Bite Back – http://www.bite-back.com/ they are brilliant and see how you can get involved!
Hi Sophie. Yes it’s very sad and hart to understand humans cruelty against animals. Thanks for the link!
Everybody should watch the full length video from Gordon Ramsay
It is great! Thanks for sharing! He is really doing a great job, there!
I dived frequently in the Philippines among many shark type, white tip, black tip and Mako. Never heard of a single incident of shark attacks in several years. They are majestic animals. And these idiots paying huge money for shark’s fin soup, and it tastes of chicken and other stuff thrown into that pot is crazy.
This is a deplorable practice and as an individual, you can often feel pretty ineffective in trying to stamp out something as inhumane as this. Thanks for the links above to the Bite-Back and Stop Shark Finning websites – heading over to them now to add my voice to this campaign.
Shark finning is by far the most inhumane act ever! Imagine fighting for your life with all your might, then by some great reprieve you escape to what you believe was a close call. Then to try to swim as normal, but only able to sink to the bottom of the ocean to a cruel slow death. Please no more killing of sharks! We have to give Gordon Ramsay some kind of award and recogonition. If you haven’t seen his 14:47 U-tube video, then please check it out. Jimmy Young