"Finning"

[Fibre-Lyte]

I've just been watching a program on UK tv by Gordon Ramsay (the chef for anyone who doesn't know) about sharks and the far eastern 'delicacy' of shark fin soup and how huge the industry is. He's basically trying to stop the trade bit by bit as there's a huge demand for the fins but not for the meat so what hapoens, which is really beyond me from a humane point of view, is the shark fisherman land the shark, cut it's fins off while still alive and throw the body back overboard, still alive but obviously unable to survive. I have to say it was a really shocking video, quite gut wrenching. How we can do this at all as human beings I have no idea, for the sake of a bowl of soup! I wouldn't mind so much if they killed and used the rest of the shark but they don't.

The one time in my life I am glad I have a seafood allergy!!

[pritchet74]

Ya, I have seen a program like that before. It's just a completely fuqt up situation. I don't care how much of a delicacy is might be, I would never eat it.

[dalai]

Humans have a lot to answer for. Some very sad practices taking place around the globe, this unfortunately is just one of many...

[Boonen]

I didn't see the program but am familiar with it and it's absolutely terrible practice, as you say all they take is the fins and the poor sharks get dumped back into the water alive to flap around and eventually sink to the bottom and die of their injuries or by starvation If we don't stop doing this now soon there'll be no sharks left and what's left of the ocean will become a (bigger) mess. Have any of you seen the giant squid that are rapidly marching up from Mexico and are now abundant all the way along the East coast as far North as Alaska? Those things are frightening and it looks like they can't be stopped, I bet in some years we will all be very sorry for all the sharks and whales we killed!

I'm sure if this was a more cuddly animal there would be much more commotion about it but it seems to be the problem for all fish, people can't really see them, don't really relate to them and don't really care

[dunlinii]

I've heard of that. It mad. Your right, it wouldn't be so bad if a)sharks wern't endangered, and b)they ate the rest of the shark, but they are and people don't so a big not cool.