Chloe Liang's Comm 101 Section 101 Blog

A certain delicacy in Chinese culture is one that is subjected to much criticism on the practice behind preparing it. Known to be practically tasteless, a traditional dish known as shark-fin soup is attracting much attention in recent times due to an ever-growing number of endangered sharks around the world. For an item that commands such a high price in the markets, shark fins are becoming a more sought out commodity by restaurant owners, as the increasing demand for the soup is prevalent among the global Chinese communities. A barbaric act known as finning, hunters kill approximately tens of millions of sharks each year. With only the animal’s prominent dorsal fin pursued as the prized possession, the rest of the body is thrown back into the ocean alive. Historically, finning has forced species to the brink of extinction. Only recently has the issue begun to surface amongst society; in certain parts of the world, the cuisine has been banned. For the sake of tradition, the immoral practice cannot be justified as it is heavily outweighed by the costs of altering the oceanic ecosystems. One has to realize that the lavish appearance of shark-fin soup isn’t as glamorous as it seems.

Watch the video that inspired my blog post here: The Cruelty of Shark Fin Soup

Picture source:
http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/images/sharkfinsoup1.jpg

http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/images/finned-sharks-ocean.jpg