Exclusive: The Cruel Reality of the Global Shark Fin Trade, in Pictures

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Science / Endangered Species
January 17, 2012

credit: Oceana

Unfortunately, this is the reality for many sharks, killed solely for their fins - scientists say up to 73 million of them each year. The global shark fin trade is an enormous industry that supplies the title ingredient of shark fin soup, a traditional Asian dish. But few people stop to think about where that dish begins…

Here’s a photo of a thresher shark with its fin cut off in on the beach in Manta, Ecuador.