I personally never realized how big the shark fin industry is until seeing these photos. For those that don't follow this issue, sharks being at the top of the reef food chain are vital to the health and survival of reef ecosystems.
Several thousand shark fins laid out to dry were found on the rooftop of a building housing seafood suppliers in Kennedy Town in central Hong Kong. Photographer Gary Stokes from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society received a tip from an unnamed person on January 1 and took these pictures.
Shark finning is banned in several countries, but the trade is flourishing in Hong Kong, where the fins are used in shark fin soup, a dish considered a prestigious delicacy, and in some types of traditional Chinese medicine. Hong Kong accounts for 50% of the global shark fin trade, according to the WWF.
Shark fins used to be laid out to dry openly on ground level in Hong Kong, but finding another place to dry them -- out of sight of the public --might be a way for shark fin traders to avoid criticism.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society are hoping that CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, will step in and provide better protection for some shark species.
Many restaurants and hotels in Hong Kong have chosen not to serve shark fin soup, and last year a Chinese State Council said they are planning to ban shark fin soup from being served at official banquets in China.
Shark Fin Industry
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