Should I Eat Chinese Shark Fin Soup in Hong Kong?
Should I Eat Chinese Shark Fin Soup in Hong Kong? Chinese shark fin soup is one of Hong Kong s most popular dishes and for those that eat it, the ultimate culinary statement of monetary status.Answer: The short answer is no. While the dish is still widely available in Hong Kong, it has found itself mired in increasing controversy over the last ten years. Of primary concern is the plummeting numbers of sharks in Southeast Asia, a decline mostly due to the trade in shark fins destined for Chinese dinner tables. While many people don t see the harm in taking Jaws out of the sea, sharks are an essential part of the marine food chain, and their low numbers threatens to destabilise the whole food chain. Environmental groups have also cited the cruelty of the process; sharks are caught, have their fins cut off and are then thrown back in the sea, where they drown without the mobility of their fins. Major environmental groups have ratcheted up the pressure on Hong Kong restaurants to remove th
