The Dorsal Fin

We hear a lot about the shark fin soup market in the media, but how much of it is true?

GuyHarveyMagazine.com has an excellent article written by Chuck Thompson (with additional reporting from Virginia Lau) exposing the “4 lies” about shark fin soup. The article covers myths about the cultural history of the dish in China, flaws in international conservation efforts, cultural status and the cost of shark fin soup, as well as cultural views on sharks and animals, in general.

The report is long and certainly opinionated, but it is definitely worth reading in its entirety if you’ve followed any of the anti-finning movements or campaigns that have been in the media over the past few years. Check out the full article at GuyHarveyMagazine.com

Thanks to Shark Diver’s Underwater Thrills blog for the heads-up on this article.

The Associated Press recently released the above video feature about a campaign to curb shark fin soup consumption in Hong Kong. The grass-roots movement hopes to have the controversial delicacy removed from restaurant menus. Shark fin soup has come under fire due to the acquisition of shark fins through shark finning, in which live sharks have their fins cut off and are then thrown back in the water to drown.

Shark fin soup is believed by some to have multiple health benefits including increased energy, heart disease prevention, improved skin quality, and increased sexual potency. However, there is no evidence to support any of these purported benefits.

A video of a finned whale shark filmed in the Philippines by Chung Shan Shan, a Hong Kong biology professor, has helped to fuel the movement against shark fin soup. The campaign seems to be supported primarily by the younger generation, some of whom, have decided to go against tradition and serve alternatives to shark fin soup at their own wedding banquets.

For more information, check out the full AP report.