Source: The San Francisco Examiner
July 24, 2012

"Shark fin soup is an almost-tasteless delicacy that is more notable for its texture. But all across Asia and the Pacific Rim, Chinese consumers have historically viewed it as a mark of success and wealth.

There have been a lot of successful Chinese consumers over the past 20 years, and that is to be celebrated. But one ancillary result of that has been the overfishing of sharks to satisfy this ancient culinary tradition. In ocean waters across the globe, fishermen have been catching sharks in unprecedented numbers, merely to slice off their fins and drop them back into the sea to slowly die.

Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law outlawing the serving of shark fin soup in California. This won’t stop the overfishing of sharks around the world, since the vast majority of shark fin soup consumers live in Hong Kong."

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