Shark finning~

Shark finning~

Shark finning is removing and keeping shark fins and then throwing away the rest of the fish. Shark finning takes place at sea so the fishers only have to transport the more profitable fins. The shark is most often still alive when it is tossed back into the water. Unable to swim, the shark slowly sinks toward the bottom where it is eaten alive by other fish.

These fins are used for shark fin soup which is a popular Chinese soup usually served at special occasions such as weddings and banquets. It is a luxury item in Chinese culture.The shark fins provide texture while the taste comes from the other soup ingredients.
Not only are fins used for dishes, but they contain cartilage which is thought to be a preventive medicine and treatment for cancer. In Mexico, the use of shark fin is widely accepted as an alternative medicine for prostate cancer, with some people theorizing that by eating shark fins, they can cure their cancer because sharks do not have cancer. The idea is that by taking medicines made of shark fins, the person will stop the growth of cancerous tumors, according to the London Prostate Cancer Centre. However, the London Prostate Cancer Centre reports there is no scientific evidence in which to base the health benefits purported for the consumption of shark fins.

Third thing it is used for is improving someone's sexual functioning.
Asian markets are finding an uprising in people who are seeking the powdered shark fin as an aphrodisiac to improve their sexual functioning. However, there is no scientific proof that there is any benefit to sexual functioning.

There is controversy over the practice of shark finning. Consumption of shark fin soup has risen dramatically with the middle class becoming more affluent, as Chinese communities around the world enjoy increasing income levels. Environmental groups claim that finning has caused decline of shark species, which are essential to the stability of oceanic ecosystems. Annually, millions of sharks are being tortured like this.
Shark meat is considered low value and therefore not worth the cost of transporting the shark bodies to the market.


Source:
http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_finning
http://www.sharkwater.com/education.htm