Films / Movies / Films About Diet and Food / FIsh, Fishing, Seafood

Extinction Soup – How Shark Fin Soup is Destroying Sharks

by Jennie Richards · Published January 6, 2023 · Updated March 11, 2023

Every year between 26-76 million sharks are killed and die a slow, excruciating death for a bowl of shark fin soup. To save our oceans, we must save the shark. To save the shark, we save mankind. We must stop shark fin soup.

The Chinese say shark fin soup is part of their culture. But the fact is, the demand for shark fin soup is driving the destruction and extinction of shark populations all over the world. The Chinese and Japanese love of shark fin soup is not only maiming and killing millions and millions of sharks every year, it is wreaking havoc with the balance of sea and mammal life in our oceans and literally causing the extinction of an entire species of fish that our oceans depend on.

Along with the growing prosperity of the Chinese, and the economic rise of Singapore, Hong Kong and other Asian communities, the consumption of shark fin soup has also significantly increased. It was once a delicacy of the Chinese ruling class, but today it has become a must-have at Chinese restaurants and at many Asian and Chinese weddings, business dinners, banquets and events—and is destroying tens of millions of sharks every single year. Many of these sharks are caught only for their fins and sharks that have had their fins cut off—are still alive when their bodies are discarded back into the ocean where they die a slow and agonizing death. Finning is unconscionably cruel and inhumane to the animal, is deeply wasteful, and is wiping out life in the ocean—for a bowl of soup.

Filmmaker Philip Waller documents the efforts of conservationist Stefanie Brendl as she fights to educate lawmakers and help pass ground-breaking legislation that will curb the consumption of shark fin soup.

What You Can Do

Don’t buy, eat, serve or support shark fin soup in any restaurant or event
Ask local restaurants that serve shark fin soup—to remove the soup from the menu and stop serving it. Don’t patronize these restaurants. Make it known to them why you are walking out and won’t patronize them.
If you travel to countries where shark fin soup is served—and it’s served at an event, special dinner, wedding or restaurant you attend, make a respectful request to order something else, and talk about your concern.
Ask your company or business to stop serving shark fin soup at corporate or business events and dinners
Do not serve shark fin soup at your wedding or dinner, or if invited, send a “No Shark Fin Soup” RSVP to the event
Share your concern with business associates, friends and family – explain why you don’t want to eat, serve or support shark fin soup
Support efforts in your community to BAN Shark fin soup
Learn more about shark finning and download the Shark Fin brochure
Please Sign – Say NO to the Shark Fin Trade Petition!
Take the “I’m Finished With Fins” PLEDGE

Some Facts and Statistics

There has been a 90 percent DECREASE in some shark populations in the last 20 years
30-73 million sharks are maimed and killed every year for shark-fin soup and meat
100 million people in China are eating shark fin soup every year and the number is growing
Sharks tend to reproduce very slowly taking years to reach reproductive maturity. Sharks produce few young
Many shark populations cannot keep up with the number that is being fished, finned and killed every year – causing rapidly declining populations
Some seaports in Japan maim and kill 6000-7000 sharks every single day
One single boat in Taiwan unloads 7000 shark fins from one boat in a day
Sharks are considered a “keystone” species and removing them could cause the complete collapse of the food web in the ocean
Shark fins are unhealthy and can contain heavy metals like mercury and neurotoxins linked to degenerative brain diseases

Initial Release: March 8, 2014

Film Length: 60 Minutes