The shark fin soup ban is a controversial issue that a lot of conservation groups around the world are actively promoting in order to achieve the highest degree of global awareness when it comes to the fact that it shark fin soup is indeed one of the biggest reasons behind the decline and possible extinction of one of the most important ocean creatures today. What is ? Shark Fin Soup is known to be a widely popular soup item that originated centuries ago in China during the Ming Dynasty. It consists of a variety of shark fins and is considered to be a luxurious delicacyin Chinese cuisine as well as a status symbol in Chinese culture. While the fin itself does not necessary enhance the flavor of the soup, it certainly adds texture to the dish which is usually priced at around US$100 for one bowl. Time Magazine has once referred to the dish as “extinction in a bowl” which it very well could be as international concerns have been brought to light as far as the sustainability and welfare of sharks in general since the process of finning is seen as an inhumane act that poses a massive threat on the shark population as a whole. What is Finning? Basically, finning is the process in which sharks are caught and pulled on-board so that their fins can be sliced off before they are released back into the ocean where they are helplessly left to drown and bleed to death. According to a study conducted by Science News, finning claims around 26 million to 73 million shark deaths each year. The reason the sharks are thrown back into the ocean is because their meat is not worth much while the fins are sold on the market for around US$300 a pound. Obviously, a lot of people are drawn to the large sum of money that they can gain by finning, but many believe that it is simply not worth losing sharks to extinction, especially since the ocean’s ecosystem depends largely on these natural predators to clean up and maintain the balance within its waters, which is why more people now support the shark fin soup ban which has become a controversial issue. Is The Ban Working? While it is not easy to say whether or not the controversial ban is working due to the high number of greedy individuals who would rather choose to break the law for the purpose of personal gain at the cost of global implications, it is safe to say that there are a lot of people and places around the world that support the shark fin soup ban . Obama has signed a Shark Conservation Act which bans shark finning in US waters while the European Union has adopted a strict enforceable ban on finning which many hope will help to save the shark species from becoming extinct since the European Union is known to catch more sharks than any country in the world.
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