As I am of Chinese descent, the whole issue of shark fin was completely off my radar until very recently.  As a kid, despite having to hang around hordes of boring adults at traditional Chinese banquets, I would brave my surroundings for the delicious multi-course meal that usually includes favorites like crab and lobster, crispy duck and yes, shark fin soup.  Apart from swallow’s nest, shark fin soup is considered to be the most sought after and expensive dish usually served on the menu of high-end Chinese restaurants.  The fin itself is usually dried and shredded.  Having very little actual flavor of its own, shark fin is usually used for its texture in luxurious broths.  It is considered one of the most prestigious things you can serve to your guests and is usually reserved for special occasions like weddings and birthdays.

As such, the market and demand for shark fin is a massive billion dollar industry in which up to 100 million sharks could be killed for each year.  What is more disturbing than the staggering numbers that cannot possibly be sustainable is the method with which most shark fins are harvested.  As shown in movies like Sharkwater, the fin is removed from sharks and then the animal is tossed back into the ocean alive.  Shark meat is considered to be low-end and not worth the cost of transport in comparison to the much more valuable fin, which can fetch around $300 per pound.  Without its fin, the shark struggles to swim and usually dies in pain or is eaten by other sharks smelling the blood in the water.

I consider myself to have at least an amateur gourmet pallet and having eaten shark fin soup many, many times, I can say with all honesty that…well, the soup would be just fine without such a morally grey ingredient.  That’s right, shark fin soup would be great on its own without shark fin since the broth is the tasty part.  In fact, “shark fin soup” with imitation shark fin is commonly enjoyed on a regular basis, especially at festivals and events like the Richmond Night Market for as little as $3 a bowl.

After finding out more about the shark fining industry, I have to say that I’ll think twice from now on about the popular dish.  While I probably wouldn’t reject it if it was served at a friend’s wedding or something, it probably isn’t something I would put on the menu of any event I was throwing myself.

If you would like to find out more about what you can do about the growing shark fin problem and you’re in the Vancouver area, there is an event being thrown by SharkTruth.com to educate on the subject and (I assume) raise funds to save sharks.