Canada Shark Fins

They don’t just club seals to death in Canada, they also catch sharks for their fins. The fins are used in the famous shark fin soup from Asia. The soup is seen as a symbol of power, wealth and prestige and as more and more people, especially in China, start making loads of money the demand for shark fin soup continues to grow. The sad thing is that the fins only provide the texture of the soup and none of the flavor. Make of this what you will, but to me personally it is just a sad sight to see such majestic animals killed for their fins because some guy on the other side of the world wants to show off.

A sister ship of the Ocean Sunset is pictured fishing off of Ucluelet, British Columbia. The Ocean Sunset is a commercial fishing boat that hunts sharks as well as other fish for their meat and fins. After the fishermen catch them, dogfish sharks are sent to a processing plant, the fins are removed and the body is skinned. The bellies are exported to Germany to be smoked for pub food, and the fins are sent to Asia, where they are used in shark fin soup - a delicacy in Chinese culture. Animal rights advocates criticise the shark fin harvest but others say that eating shark fins is an old cultural tradition. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

A newly caught dogfish shark is tossed into a storage freezer below the ship's deck aboard the Ocean Sunset. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

Albatross scavenge fish scraps left over from the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean off of Ucluelet. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

A dogfish shark is handled by ship's crewman Planes and put onto ice aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

Newly caught dogfish sharks are pulled aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

Planes attaches bait to hooks that will be used to lure sharks and halibut aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean off Ucluelet. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

A freshly caught spring salmon is cleaned for dinner for the crew aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean off of Ucluelet. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

Planes Jr. prepares bait to lure sharks and halibut fish while aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean off of Ucluelet. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

A shark fin is pictured aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean off of Ucluelet. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

A crew member inspects the fin of a dogfish shark after it was caught by fishermen aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat. Ben Nelms/REUTERS

The Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat is pictured in harbour in Ucluelet, British Columbia. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

The Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat heads back to land from the Pacific Ocean off of Ucluelet, British Columbia. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

A dogfish shark is pulled aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean off of Ucluelet, British Columbia. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

Jon Planes holds a large soupfin shark aboard the Ocean Sunset in the Pacific Ocean off of Ucluelet, British Columbia. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

A soupfin shark is pulled aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean off of Ucluelet. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

Ship's captain Jon Planes pulls a dogfish shark aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean. Ben Nelms/REUTERS

Ryan Planes climbs out of the ship's storage freezer aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean off of Ucluelet, British Columbia. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

Planes Jr. picks a knife to gut a fish aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean off of Ucluelet, British Columbia. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

A dogfish shark is pictured on blood-stained ice aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean off of Ucluelet, British Columbia. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

Planes navigates his commercial fishing boat the Ocean Sunset in the Pacific Ocean off of Ucluelet, British Columbia. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

Planes takes a nap between baiting lines aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean off of Ucluelet, British Columbia. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

Newly caught dogfish sharks are pulled aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat. Ben Nelms/REUTERS

Dogfish sharks are handled by ship's crewman Ryan Planes and put onto ice aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat. Ben Nelms/REUTERS

A shark fin from a Chinese Herbal store is photographed in a studio in Vancouver. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

Pai and Leung eat a shark-free dinner at their wedding during the reception in Richmond, British Columbia. BEN NELMS/REUTERS

A family eats shark fin soup at Vancouver's Grand Honor Chinese restaurant in Vancouver. BEN NELMS/REUTERS