Shark Fin Soup

The shark market is a billion dollar industry that is rivaled only by trafficing drugs in profits. Much of the finning is illegal and occurs through a black market. 1 lb of shark fin is worth around $200 US. A large whale shark fin can fetch a price up to $11,000 US. The Asian delicacy, shark fin soup, can range in price up to $90 per bowl. Shark fin soup has been around for centuries, but in the past 2 decades it has boomed in popularity. It is a status symbol of wealth and is served at weddings, banquets, and fancy dinners, and is considered a royal food. The shark fin, however, is tasteless and provides only a texture to chicken or pork broth. Just about every Chinese chef knows how to make a good shark fin soup.
Most Asians believe that because sharks dont get sick as easily as other animals do, they have magical healing powers. They believe that if they eat the shark, their bodies will become more resiliant to sickness and disease. Shark fin comes in pill form for this reason, and shark cartilage is used as a cancer and arthritis treatment, although its never been proven to work. What they don't know is that sharks can get cancer and have other serious medical problems. If is figured that it is becoming more harmful than good to eat sharks due to the large amounts of chemicals, such as mercury, that are put in the ocean.