"the charity's 'Hacked Off' campaign. Imitation shark fin soup is a noodle soup often sold in small bowls by street vendors in Hong Kong, where it is a common street snack. It is a substitute for shark fin soup, a dish condemned by the Humane Society International, which says tens of millions of sharks are cruelly killed each year for their fins. Imitation shark fin soup is also a more affordable alternative to shark fin soup. A popular, low-cost imitation shark fin soup () made using vermicelli is widely available in Asia. They can also be made from cellophane noodles."
"According to WildAid, consumption of shark fin soup in China has dropped by 50–70% from 2011 to 2013. China's commerce ministry indicated that consumption of shark fin soup during the 2013 Spring Break holiday had decreased by 70 percent from 2012, and Hong Kong industry groups reported that shark fin imports were down by 20 to 30 percent from 2012. Also, anecdotal evidence points to a worldwide drop in shark fin prices and a move away from shark fishing in parts of Africa. Shark fins used in the soup are the cartilaginous dorsal, pectoral and caudal fins. These are regularly"
"Conservation Act into law, which closed these loopholes. China's late-20th-century economic reforms produced a middle class that increased demand for traditional luxury items like shark fins. Chinese traditional medicine ascribes various restorative and healing effects to the fins, and the soup is considered a delicacy, costing as much as US$100 per bowl. The Chinese demand for fins led fishing crews to both take them from sharks in their bycatch and start fishing for sharks directly. Shark populations began declining. Since they are predators near the top of the marine food chain, an umbrella species, playing an important role in maintaining"
"has reportedly dropped, but this has been more than balanced by an increase in demand from the Chinese mainland, fueled by its growing economy and increased wealth, as the economic growth of China has put this expensive delicacy within the reach of a growing middle class. This increase in demand, combined with the importance of this top predator in the ocean, has the potential to significantly alter oceanic ecosystems. The high price of the soup means that it is often used as a way to impress guests or at celebrations. Shark fin is also incorrectly perceived by some as having"
"off the tails and fins of living sharks, which are then thrown back into the ocean to die. The primary use of shark fins is in shark fin soup, an expensive delicacy which because of its high cost was in former times restricted to being consumed by the Chinese aristocracy. With increasing availability of shark fin in modern times, shark fin soup is now often served on special occasions such as weddings and banquets, and is available in many Chinese restaurants. Fong, who was born in China, says, """"Anything that is unhealthy, that the culture is practicing, we should stop"
"highly sought-after as income levels of Chinese communities rose worldwide. International concerns over the sustainability and welfare of sharks have impacted consumption and availability of the soup. Consumption reduced by 50–70% in China between 2011 and 2013. Imitation shark fin soup has become a popular alternative, which uses substitutes to replicate the fins' chewy, gelatinous texture. Traditional shark fin soup or stew is made with fins obtained from a variety of shark species. Raw fins are processed by first removing the skin and denticles, then trimming them to shape and bleaching to a more-desirable colour. Sharks' fins are sold dried,"
"issue that involves cutting off the fins of sharks. This is done while the shark is still alive followed by the rest of the body being thrown back into the ocean, leaving it to die days after. Used in countries like China and Japan, shark fins are a key ingredient in the world-renowned meal, shark fin soup. The high demand for this particular type of soup has skyrocketed in the last few decades and sells for around $100 on average and is often catered at special occasions such as weddings and banquets. Due to the increased want for these shark"
"sea, and then discarding the rest of the fish back into the ocean. If they are still alive, the sharks either die from suffocation or are eaten because they are unable to move normally. Shark finning is widespread, and largely unregulated and unmonitored. The practice has been on the rise largely due to the increasing demand for shark fins for shark fin soup and traditional cures, particularly in China and its territories. Studies estimate that 26 to 73 million sharks are harvested annually for their fins. The estimated median of 38 million is nearly four times the number recorded by"
"in China and are the most important freshwater fish species for food and traditional Chinese medicine. Bighead and silver carp are the most important fish, worldwide, in terms of total aquaculture production. Common carp, Amur carp and crucian carp are also common foodfishes in China and elsewhere. Goldfish, though, are cultivated mainly as pet fish. Common carp are native to both Eastern Europe and Western Asia, so they are sometimes called a ""Eurasian"" carp. A long tradition of Asian carp exists in Chinese culture and literature. A popular lyric circulating as early as 2000 years ago in the late Han"
"delicacy. In China they are known as ""fish maw"", 花膠/鱼鳔, and are served in soups or stews. The vanity price of a vanishing kind of maw is behind the imminent extinction of the vaquita, the world's smallest dolphin breed. Only found in Mexico's Gulf of California, the once numerous vaquita now number less than 60 in total. Vaquita die in gillnets set to catch totoaba (the world's largest drum fish). Totoaba are being hunted to extinction for its maw, which can sell for as much $10,000 per kilogram. Swim bladders are also used in the food industry as a source"
"this practice and require the whole shark to be brought back to port before removing the fins. Shark finning increased since 1997 largely due to the increasing demand for shark fins for shark fin soup and traditional cures, particularly in China and its territories, and as a result of improved fishing technology and market economics. The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Shark Specialist Group say that shark finning is widespread, and that ""the rapidly expanding and largely unregulated shark fin trade represents one of the most serious threats to shark populations worldwide"". Estimates of the global value of the"
"any medical condition. Sharks biomagnify toxins, so eating shark meat may raise the risk of dementia and heavy metal poisoning such as mercury poisoning. Shark fins are believed in Chinese culture to have properties of boosting sexual potency, enhancing skin quality, increasing ""qi"" or energy, preventing heart disease, and lowering cholesterol. In traditional Chinese medicine, shark fins are believed to help in areas of rejuvenation, appetite enhancement, and blood nourishment and to be beneficial to vital energy, kidneys, lungs, bones, and many other parts of the body. There are claims that shark fins prevent cancer; however, there is no scientific"
"leather sports shoes. Taiwan banned shark finning in 2012. After reaching about 0.9 million tonnes in 2003, catches of the “sharks, rays and chimaeras” group declined to 0.75 million tonnes in 2006, a drop of 15 percent., numbering some 100 million fish. Sharks are a common seafood in many places around the world, including China (shark-fin soup), Japan, Australia (fish and chips under the name flake), in India (under the name sora in Tamil language and Telugu language), and Icelanders eat Greenland sharks as hákarl. The practice of live finning, where a fisherman removes the fin with a hot metal"
"to the Yangtze River Basin in China. Chinese paddlefish are also commonly referred to as ""Chinese swordfish"", or ""elephant fish"". Paddlefish populations have declined dramatically throughout their historic range as a result of overfishing, pollution, and the encroachment of human development, including the construction of dams that have blocked their seasonal upward migration to ancestral spawning grounds. Other detrimental effects include alterations of rivers which have changed natural flows resulting in the loss of spawning habitat and nursery areas. Chinese paddlefish have not been seen since 2007, and may now be extinct for many of the same reasons that have"
"back to its niche. The Chinese giant salamander is listed as a critically endangered species. It has experienced a drastic population decline, which is estimated to be more than 80% in the last 3 generations due to human causes. Human consumption is the main threat to the Chinese giant salamander. They are considered to be a luxury food item, as well as an important source of traditional medicines in China. They are easy to hunt, so catching them is not a problem. Breeding Chinese giant salamanders is a large industry with thousands of breeding and many enterprises. According to a"
"for over a thousand years, and known as ""Asian carp"" in the United States. Black carp are not as widely distributed worldwide as the other three. In China, black carp are the most highly esteemed and expensive foodfish among the four domestic fishes, and partly because of its diet and limited food supply, is the most scarce and expensive in the marketplace. The nature of the black carp's diet has led to its use in the United States in the control of snails in aquaculture. Snails are obligate alternate hosts of trematode pests that can cause substantial losses to aquaculture"
"eating shark. For details see mercury in fish. In the South Asian region, use of shark cartilage in preparing soups is considered a health tonic. Hong Kong imports it from North and South American countries, particularly for use in either a cooked format or to prepare boiled soup, as a health fad, by mixing it with herbals supplements. Another large demand for shark cartilage is for manufacture of ""Shark Cartilage Powder"" or pills as a cure for cancer. The anti cancer claims of such powders marketed in many parts of the world has been discounted by the US Food and"
"Zhang helped to raise concern within China's government, which pledged in 2012 to ban shark fin soup from official banquets within three years. In January 2013, ""China Daily"" reported that officials in Zhejiang province found that many shark fin soup restaurants were selling artificial shark fins, and that one-third of the samples that the officials had obtained contained dangerous amounts of cadmium and methylmercury. Within two months of the ""China Daily"" report, China ordered officials throughout the country to stop serving dishes made from protected wildlife at official banquets, and the Hong Kong government issued a similar order in September."
"Shark meat Shark meat is a seafood consisting of the flesh of sharks. Its consumption by humans has been mentioned since fourth century AD literature. Several sharks are fished for human consumption, such as porbeagles, shortfin mako shark, requiem shark, and thresher shark, among others. Shark meat is popular in Asia, where it is often consumed dried, smoked, or salted. Shark meat is consumed regularly in Japan, India, Sri Lanka, areas of Africa and Mexico. In western cultures, shark meat is sometimes considered as an inferior food, although its popularity has increased in Western countries. Unprocessed shark meat may have"
"high nutritional value, as well as cancer and osteoarthritis fighting abilities. Based on information gathered from the Hong Kong trade in fins, the market is estimated to be growing by 5% a year. In 1998, China imported a reported 4,240 tonnes of shark fins worth US$24.7 million, but Costa Rica competed with Japan, Spain, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Norway, Ecuador, Peru and Fiji in providing for the Chinese market. In China, shark fins are increasingly being used in less extravagant items such as cakes, cookies, bread and even cat food. In the South Asian region, use of shark cartilage"
"by shark finning, and abalone, which is implicated in destructive fishing practices, are controversial for both environmental and ethical reasons. There are many stories on the origin of the dish. A common one is about a scholar traveling by foot during the Qing dynasty. While he traveled with his friends, the scholar preserved all his food for the journey in a clay jar used for holding wine. Whenever he had a meal, he warmed up the jar with the ingredients over an open fire. Once they arrived in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province, the scholar started cooking the dish."
"enforce laws that protect them. In 2010 Hawaii became the first U.S. state to prohibit the possession, sale, trade or distribution of shark fins. From 1996 to 2000, an estimated 38 million sharks had been killed per year for harvesting shark fins. Shark fin soup is a status symbol in Asian countries, and is erroneously considered healthy and full of nutrients. Sharks are also killed for meat. European diners consume dogfishes, smoothhounds, catsharks, makos, porbeagle and also skates and rays. However, the U.S. FDA lists sharks as one of four fish (with swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish) whose high mercury"
"fish and fish products in the world, with imports totalling US$4.0 billion. In 2003, the global per capita consumption of fish was estimated at 16.5 kg, with Chinese consumption, based on her reported returns, at 25.8 kg. The common carp is still the number one fish of aquaculture. The annual tonnage of common carp, not to mention the other cyprinids, produced in China exceeds the weight of all other fish, such as trout and salmon, produced by aquaculture worldwide. Since the 1970s, the reform policies have resulted considerable development of China’s aquaculture, both marine and inland. The total used for"
"to death in order to release blood into the meat. Yin Yang fish involves deep-frying fish while it is still alive. The practice has been condemned by animal-rights activists. Many chefs in Taiwan are no longer willing to prepare it, but it is popular in mainland China. In 2009, a video of diners consuming this dish went viral on YouTube and provoked an outcry from PETA. Some food markets in China include live animals, such as live scorpions. China farms about 10,000 Asiatic black bears for bile production—an industry worth roughly $1.6 billion per year. The bears are permanently kept"
"worldwide in 2006 (preliminary data). Increasing urbanization and disposable income has led to a rapid rise in pork consumption in China, where 2006 consumption was 20% higher than in 2002, and a further 5% increase projected in 2007. In 2015 recorded total 109.905 million metric tons of pork were consumed worldwide. By 2017, half the world's pork was consumed in China. Pork is popular throughout eastern Asia and the Pacific, where whole roast pig is a popular item in Pacific Island cuisine. It is consumed in a great many ways and highly esteemed in Chinese cuisine. Currently China is the"
"and some of their dishes remain. The American group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has criticized practices in certain parts of the West, Japan and China that involve eating live animals and the consumption of exotic game and bushmeats as forms of animal cruelty. Examples of eating live animals in China include Yin Yang fish (""dead-and-alive"" fish), drunken shrimp, and ""San Zhi Er"" (baby rodents). Other controversial dishes in Chinese cuisine includes Cantonese snake soup, dog meat and bear claws. Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine is an important part of Chinese culture, which includes cuisine originating from the diverse"
"China since the 2nd millennium BC. When the waters lowered after river floods, some fishes, mainly carp, were held in artificial ponds. Their brood were later fed using nymphs and silkworm feces, while the fish themselves were eaten as a source of protein. By a fortunate genetic mutation, this early domestication of carp led to the development of goldfish in the Tang Dynasty. Cyprinus carpio is the number one fish of aquaculture. The annual tonnage of common carp, not to mention the other cyprinids, produced in China exceeds the weight of all other fish, such as trout and salmon, produced"
"in the tenth. The crab meat is believed by the Chinese to have a ""cooling"" (yin) effect on the body. Chinese spend hundreds of yuan just to taste a small crab from Yangcheng Lake which are considered a delicacy. Most of the Yangcheng crabs are exported to Shanghai and Hong Kong, and high-profit foreign markets. Responding to the spread of the crab to the West, businessmen have started seeing it as a new source of crab for the Chinese market. One proposed scheme involves importing unwanted crabs from Europe, where they are seen as a pest, to replenish local pure-bred"
". The sea waters had been used for fishing by the Chinese, Korean and Japanese ships for centuries. Especially rich in fish are the bottom layers. About 200 fish species are exploited commercially, especially sea bream, croakers, lizard fishes, prawns, cutlassfish, horse mackerel, squid, eel, filefish, Pacific herring, chub mackerel, flounder and jellyfish. The intensity of fishing has been gradually increasing for China and Korea and decreasing for Japan. For example, the production volumes for China rose from 619,000 tonnes in 1985 to 1,984,400 tonnes in 1996. All species are overfished, however, and while the total catchments are rising, the"
"and lamb. Northern Chinese Islamic cuisine relies heavily on beef, but rarely ducks, geese, shrimp or seafood, while southern Islamic cuisine is the reverse. The reason for this difference is due to availability of the ingredients. Oxen have been long used for farming and Chinese governments have frequently strictly prohibited the slaughter of oxen for food. However, due to the geographic proximity of the northern part of China to minority-dominated regions that were not subjected to such restrictions, beef could be easily purchased and transported to northern China. At the same time, ducks, geese, and shrimp are rare in comparison"
"parts taken from rare or endangered animals, which raises controversy over animal rights and environmental issues. This is often due to alleged health benefits of certain animal products. For example, the continued spreading of the idea that shark cartilage can cure cancer has led to decreased shark populations even though scientific research has found no evidence to support the credibility of shark cartilage as a cancer cure. Cantonese cuisine Cantonese cuisine or more accurately, Guangdong cuisine (), also known as Yue cuisine (), refers to the cuisine of China's Guangdong Province, particularly the provincial capital, Guangzhou (Canton). ""Cantonese"" specifically refers"
"result of overfishing and demand for their fins, an expensive delicacy. Among others, scientists expressed their concern about the plight of the scalloped hammerhead at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Boston. The young swim mostly in shallow waters along shores all over the world to avoid predators. Shark fins are prized as a delicacy in certain countries in Asia (such as China), and overfishing is putting many hammerhead sharks at risk of extinction. Fishermen who harvest the animals typically cut off the fins and toss the remainder of the fish, which is often still"
"remove a shark recipe from her cookery book. Its 'Hacked Off' campaign, which aims to halt the sale of shark fin soup in the United Kingdom, inspired the London-based Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant Hakkasan to stop selling the controversial soup. Having spearheaded efforts across the UK to reduce shark fin sales, in 2018 the charity reported that the number of British restaurants serving shark fin soup had reduced by 82%. As part of the organisation's quest to devalue a dead shark and make the UK shark-free, Bite-Back encourages its supporters to contribute to its 'shark sightings' map, a comprehensive collection of"