Every year, tens of millions of sharks are killed for their fins
alone. Shark fins are used to make shark fin soup, a popular and
expensive dish that is a symbol of wealth and status primarily
in Asian cultures. The demand for fins can lead to cruel and
wasteful practices, such as cutting off a shark’s fins at sea
and then throwing the rest of the shark, sometimes still alive,
back into the water. And shark fin soup can be dangerous to
humans. Since sharks are at the top of the food chain, they
accumulate toxins like mercury, which is a dangerous neurotoxin.
So are there any alternatives to shark fin soup? Shark fins
themselves have no taste and are used only for texture. In
traditional shark fin soup recipes, chicken or fish stock is
added to give the soup flavor which means that there are a lot
of ways to enjoy shark fin soup without using shark fins – like
this recipe from the Monterey Bay Aquarium: Today, the Maryland
state Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
Committee is holding a hearing