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A Conversation with a Shark Fin Trader

saintcavish.substack.com · 1,569 words · saved by 1 readers

In 2024, I did something risky: I tried to research shark’s fin. It’s one of the most controversial and emotional disagreements in the food world between China and many other countries. The western image, of tens of millions of sharks being finned and then thrown back into the ocean to drown, is probably not the full reality. Neither is an argument I heard often on the other side, which is that the sharks are caught for their oil-rich livers, used by the cosmetic industry, and the fins are a by-product. I wanted to get beyond the emotions and surface-level arguments and understand the issue. I ultimately failed. I contacted shark experts, NGOs and professors around the world, and was completely shunned. Academics who had written papers about shark populations and finning claimed to be out of touch with the industry now. NGOs had lots to say but little evidence. Shark experts told me they’d “get back to me”. I had one interesting conversation and it was in Shanghai at the wholesale fo

In 2024, I did something risky: I tried to research shark’s fin. It’s one of the most controversial and emotional disagreements in the food world between China and many other countries. The western image, of tens of millions of sharks being finned and then thrown back into the ocean to drown, is probably not the full reality. Neither is an argument I heard often on the other side, which is that the sharks are caught for their oil-rich livers, used by the cosmetic industry, and the fins are a by-product. I wanted to get beyond the emotions and surface-level arguments and understand the…

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