Hong Kong is responsible for importing 277 million US dollars worth of sharks fin in 2007, making it the largest importer of sharks fin in the world.
However, there is hope, almost 80% of Hong Kongers interviewed in a poll have stated they would be happy to keep sharks fin off the menu for their wedding.
Sharks fin soup is considered a delicacy, and is usually consumed during wedding banquets and special occasions. Many young couples are pressured into having sharks fin soup at their wedding, as a traditional dish that indicates a family's wealth and prosperity.
It also has a huge role to play in the dramatic decrease and almost collapse of some shark species populations. Some sharks have been hunted to near extinction, with less great white sharks then tigers in the world. As a slow to mature and slow to reproduce species, sharks are particularly vulnerable to over fishing.
BLOOM, a non-profit organisation that interviewed 1,000 people between 2009-2010, found that 85% would also support a ban on fin imports. Worryingly, 70% admitted they ate the soup at least once a year, despite 2/3 saying they felt uncomfortable eating an endangered fish.
Recently sharks fin soup has been making the news, with many non-governmental organizations campaigning for a ban on the dish, with some success; many countries have imposed regulations on the practice of finning, importing fins without the rest of the carcass, with countries like Malaysia banning it from governmental functions. Hawaii became the first state to ban the possession of fins.
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