Shark Fin Trade On Its Way Out in Hong Kong and China!

Great news for the ocean’s sharks! Thanks to the hard work of animal and environmental rights groups, a few “anti-corruption” laws, and crackdown on “extravagance” the shark fin trade between Hong Kong and China has dropped by an astounding 90 percent over the past year!

My, my can killing shark for their fins finally be on the way out?

It is estimated that about 100 million sharks are killed for their fins every year. Why would people want the fins of sharks to begin with? To make soup, of course! In Hong Kong and China, shark fin soup is considered a delicacy. Before the decline in the shark fin trade, Hong Kong exported 2.6 million pounds of shark fins to mainland China. Since the central Chinese government has “curbed extravagance” (i.e. expensive fin soup) there has been a sharp decline in the demand for shark fins.

And thank goodness for that! A combination of governmental regulations and pressure from groups like WWF-Hong Kong, this massive blow to the shark fin trade can certainly be considered a victory for sharks around the world. With a little luck, the practice of shark finning itself will “jump the shark”! (Yes, I went there.)

Image source: Hermanus Backpackers / Wikipedia Commons