Shark Fin Soup

Despicable.

Why not just eat the whole thing? Looks like a lot of meat on them. You'd still have a declining population of sharks though.

so would it be OK with folks if the fishermen caught the shark and used more of it?

either way, the shark ends up dead... seems like one would either be against all "plundering" of sharks, or not have a problem with it.

although the shark fin thing seems very cruel, I'm not sure why it should bother me more than "normal" fishing... whatever that is.

Should it?  Or at the end of the day, are they the same, as both have the same ultimate result for the shark? 

They couldn't (and make money).  there is not a high enough demand to sell all the shark meat that comes with the number of fins they take (else they'd be selling it already)

Really?  No difference between slicing off just a fin and letting the shark drown versus catching the shark and using as much meat as possible?  Yes, they both resutl in a dead shark, but there is most certainly a difference.

Personally, I have no problems with hunters or fisherman that catch animals for sustenance (even though unnecessary), and I do eat meat.  I do have a problem with waste and trophy hunters.

I am not saying I agree with this, but how is it different from normal fishing?   You hook a fish (or shark) pull it up on the boat and it flops around until you club it or it dies from not being able to breate.    Same with the shark finning.    SO is it cruel that the shark is killed, or is it because it is wasted?

that's kind of what I was wondering above.... 

I was going to mention this. I think the ritual puts one in touch with the animal's sacrificed life.

I feel guilty when I throw out a chicken breast that I left in the fridge too long. My thought is "This animal gave it's life presumably to feed me. And I'm throwing it in the trash. Not good."

I suspect that if someone decided to make soup out of "Sea Otter Tails" or "Big Horn Sheep Tongue", folks would not be questioning the diferences between fishing and Finning. (A Shark is still something we fear after all)

Pictures of an Otter flopping around in the kelp with no tail to steer him along starving to death over a period of hours would be way too heart wrenching for most folks to watch.

Just as a big horn sheep trying to strip the leaves off of his favorite bush without a tongue would not be any better.

Guess the "Man in the Grey Flannel Suit" does not get any respect.

At least the sight of handless mountain gorillas has curtailed the trade in Ashtray holders here in the states. (Although it is still a problem)

Although "Bat Eye Soup" is really tasty.  And the cool thing about that is, with the sonar and all, you're really not taking much away from the bat. 

The difference is that our current method for killing fish involves pulling them out of the water with a hook or net and letting them flop around until they suffocate.   Already it is a fairly cruel practice.   Finning is not much worse because instead of flopping around on the deck to suffocate, they flop around under water trying to breathe.   Wasteful, yes,  more cruel, I don't know.  

Yeah, not to mention all of those castrated Springboks running around. (Dried and Ground up Springbok testicles are gourmet in some parts of the world)

Hey, at least they don't die right away; Even if they cannot procreate

In my opinion, it is more cruel precisely because it is wasteful

-nm-