A Quick Tip by Sharrie

Shark fin soup is an Asian delicacy served in many Chinese restaurants. The fins are dried and sometimes soaked in hydrogen peroxide to improve its color before being shredded and cooked in the soup. In the U.S., shark fin soup is still considered more of a delicacy and normally only served during special occasions such as wedding banquets.  However, in Asia, shark fin soup has become a more common treat for even the middle class on a regular basis.  This spike in demand for shark fins has sparked the controversy by many wildlife conservationist.

There has been a lot of controversy around shark fin soup due to the way the fishers get the fins.  Fishers will catch these sharks, cut off the fins (for the soup) and then throw the fish back into the water (essentially killing them because now they have no fin). The rest of the fish isn't used and because the amount of money they bring in wouldn't be worth it for the fishermen to waste boat space on.   Many organizations have recently been involved in trying to stop this trend and making the public more aware.