Shark Finning Soup

Sharks. Wild and cold blooded beasts of the sea. People think that sharks are terrifying . I'm not saying that they're right or wrong. They bite people, kill people, sometimes they do bite for no apparent reason, maybe just because they feel like it.

People get terrified of sharks when they see films about sharks killing people to satisfy their appetites like the film Jaws. Or perhaps a film based on a true story of a person nearly getting killed by a shark, or losing a limb like the spectacular adventure film Soul Surfer. But you can learn a lot more about these creatures and their lifestyle by watching the film Shark Water. I make these references only to illustrate the fact that media has a big influence on how people think about such creatures. Especially on the impression of those who don't live by the sea and in many cases have never seen a shark in their life.

One thing to note is that studies have shown that sharks only kill five people out of billions on the planet per year. Studies have also shown that vending machines kill more people per year then sharks do, by them tipping over on people. That isn't to say we don't wish it was zero people per year but still they are not the biggest problem or even predator of mankind by any means.

Despite this people hunt sharks in Coster Rica, and in many parts of Asia, cut off just their fins and throw back into the ocean to suffer. The shark then dies slowly of hours after bleeding to death. Why do people do this you ask?
To make soup.

With the shark fins the people who hunted shark for their fins take them to gourmet resturaunts to sell the fins to the chef to make fin soup. Shark fin soup is a very traditional delicacy and served on special occasions (such as weddings.) Shark fin soup is sold for almost $150 per bowl.

If you plan on killing a fish, a hen or any type of living creature shouldn't you use all the meat instead of killing it for a small section of it's body? Also is it ethical to after cutting off it's appendages throw a live creature back into the ocean to bleed to death?

Sharks all over the ocean are becoming endangered. Especially the hammerhead shark and the great white shark. Yet these are the very sharks that are having their fins cut off on a daily basis. Th practice of shark finning is wrong and needs to end before sharks are nothing more than a myth in the grand history of mankind.

Below I have included a video that shows you first hand what is involved in the deaths of these sharks. For those who are not convinced that shark finning is a problem you should start the video at 4:08 at this point you will see thousands of shark fins drying on a roof in the sun. For those with weak stomachs you may not want to watch the film but simply take my word for it.

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