Shark Fin Soup Trade here in Kaohsiung

Photo credit: Jeffrey L. Rotman/ Corbis

I had heard of the notorious Shark Fin Soup, a soup made of shark fin eaten by wealthy Chinese, but I was unsure of the details. Unfortunately, I am now living in an area which is home to one of the worlds largest supplies of shark fin. I have seen the dried fins in shops in Hong Kong, as well as various stalls down at Cijin Island in southern Kaohsiung. 

I came across this article by CNN reporter Lisa Ling detailing the shark fin trade in Kaohsiung. 

It unsettles me to live so close to the port where the sharkless fins are unloaded into trucks and taken to be sold and made into a flavorless prized soup. As more Chinese are able to afford the delicacy, the trade has intensified. 

I am going to see what I can do to push this issue. Laws and regulations surrounding the hunting of and selling of shark fins are not being adhered to. I guess the push has to start somewhere...