DOHA, Qatar (AP) — A marine conservation group says that the demand for shark fin soup in Asia is driving many species of these big fish to the brink of extinction.
Oceana, in a report released Tuesday at a U.N. endangered species meeting, found that up to 73 million sharks are killed each year, primarily for their fins. As a result, countries are asking that the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, agree to regulate the trade of eight shark species during its two-week meeting here in Doha.
Shark fin soup has long played central part in traditional Chinese culture, often being served at weddings and banquets. Demand for the soup has surged as increasing numbers of Chinese middle class family become wealthier.
