Shark fin drops off the menu, conservationists claim victory

Abstract

[Extract] In recent times, China has witnessed a series of campaigns aimed at persuading people to stop eating shark fin soup. So it is encouraging that, over the past year, shark fin consumption appears to have declined. If some Chinese government sources are to be believed, the fall has been as much as 70%. Conservationists and anti-shark fin campaigners have been understandably happy at the result, leading some to claim a "victory" for conservation. But can this drop in shark fin consumption really be attributed to a successful consumer awareness campaign?