Shark Finning

Shark Finning

Shark finning is the practice of removing the fins from sharks. Once the fins are removed, the bodies are usually discarded back into the ocean. The market for shark fins is primarily based on the demand for shark fin soup. It is estimated between 50 and 100 million sharks are killed by man each year.

Fast Facts

An estimated 50 to 100 million sharks are killed each year worldwide
Finning is responsible for a diminishing of shark population worldwide
Fins are removed from living and deceased sharks
Bodies are then tossed back into the ocean
According to shark conservation groups, finning is wasteful and inhumane

Shark Fin Soup

Shark fin soup is a Chinese delicacy that dates back to the Ming Dynasty. The soup is often served at weddings as a sign of wealth.

To use the fins for soup they are skinned, trimmed and then dried. The fins themselves have no flavor. In most cases, chicken or pork is added to the soup for flavoring. The fins simply add texture to the soup's broth.

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The Mahalo Top 7

Humane Society: Shark Finning Information
SeaShepherd.org: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - Shark Finning Information
SharkTrust.org: Shark Finning Factsheet
NewScientist: US to end controversial shark 'finning' (April 22, 2008)
BBC: Sharks endangered by fin trade (February 22, 2001)
SeaShepherd.org: Yahoo! Invests in Shark Finning (October 4, 2007)
YouTube: Shark Finning Scene from Sharkwater (Time 5:27)

Shark Finning Background and Information

SeaShepherd.org: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - Shark Finning Information
SharkWater.com: Shark Finning Education
Humane Society: Shark Finning Information | FAQs
Wikipedia: Shark Fin Soup Controversy
StopSharkFinning.net: Anti-Shark Finning Group
SharkTrust.org: Shark Finning Factsheet
NOAA.gov: Reports to the Congress Pursuant to the Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000

Shark Finning News and Articles

StopSharkFinning.net: Latest Shark Finning News
Associated Press: House moves to keep shark fins out of fancy soups (July 8, 2008
ENN.com: U.S. Government Issues Shark Finning Ban in Atlantic Ocean (June 23, 2008)
NewScientist: US to end controversial shark 'finning' (April 22, 2008)
SeaShepherd: Yahoo! Invests in Shark Finning (October 4, 2007)
GreenPeace.org: Shark finning mystery (October 4, 2006)
SFGate: Shark Fin Soup: An Eco-Catastrophe? (January 20, 2003)
BBC: Global shark-finning ban urged (April 26, 2002)
BBC: Sharks endangered by fin trade (February 22, 2001)
Florida Museum of Natural History: Shark Finning in Hawaii (September, 1998)

Shark Finning Videos and Images

HowStuffWorks: China's Shark Fin Soup Market (Time 2:06)
YouTube: Shark Fin Frontier (Time 2:49)
YouTube: Shark Finning Scene from Sharkwater (Time 5:27)
YouTube: Stop Shark Finning (Time 0:46)

Shark Finning Blogs and Communities

AC360.CNN: Shark Fin Soup - altering an ecosystem (July 2, 2008)
SharkFriends.com: Shark Finning Information
SharkAttacks.com: Sharks are the Real Victims
AWIOnline.org: Group Unveils Restaurants Selling Controversial Shark-Fin Soup

Shark Finning Books and Merchandise

Sharkwater.com: Sharkwater Documentary (2007)

Related Pages on Mahalo

Sharks | Animal Cruelty