According to rough estimates of scientists, from 70 to 100 million sharks are caught every year around the world, and this threatens the shark population. So, in a few years, humanity can completely exterminate the sharks in oceans.
According to scientific researches, some shark species have decreased by 80% in recent decades. Despite such a terrifying threat, shark fin soup is still consumed all over the world. Based on statistics, 95% of all shark food is consumed in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. If you think that nothing will be worse, you are mistaken. These statistics are growing at 5% annually. About 3 sharks are killed in the world every second. Up to 73 million sharks are killed in one year.
Hong Kong is the world capital of the shark fin trade. In this city, fin soup is incredibly popular with everyone, both locals and tourists. This soup is considered a traditional dish. However, it’s hard to overcome traditions. Even the threat of extinction of an entire species doesn’t play a huge role.
For example, if you attend a Chinese wedding and see that you are being served shark fin soup, this will indicate that you are visiting a fairly wealthy family with a very high social status. While eating such a dish, everyone should think that it takes up to 40 fins to cook... Usually, fins are bought from poachers who set the lowest price. On the other hand, in the center of Hong Kong, for a bowl of this soup, you will pay $120 or even more. Nevertheless, environmentalists are actively fighting for the shark population. Thus, under pressure from activists, many restaurants and hotels excluded this dish from the menu. This example was followed by airlines, which also excluded the dish from the business class menu. No matter how strong the resistance is, poachers continue to do their thing for the sake of big money. For example, in the regular market, the price of such a fin is close $300 or $500 per piece. Moreover, the whale shark has the most expensive fin in the world. Attention: its cost can grow up to $15,000 per piece!!
