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. An estimated 50 to 100 million sharks are killed by humans each year.SharkTrust.org: Shark Finning Factsheet

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.

In 2008, CNN reported that demand for shark fin soup in Asian countries had exploded during the previous decade. Since several Asian cultures equate affluence with shark fin soup, the increasing middle classes sought out the delicacy as a way to prove their success. Increased demand for shark fins led to a boom in shark hunting and finning. Because sharks are among the top predators in the world's oceans, the sudden decrease in their population influences other marine species and disrupts the centuries-old equilibrium of the oceans.CNN: Shark fin soup alters an ecosystem (December 10, 2008)

• Sharkwater.com: Sharkwater Documentary (2007)