China (especially Hong Kong) is the leading seller of a specialty dish called shark fin soup. This delicacy has been around for centuries, dating back to the Ming Dynasty. At that time, it was only consumed by the wealthy and royals, as it was too expensive for common people to make. Today, it is a traditional meal served at weddings or important business meetings and is considered a sign of respect to foreigners when served to them. To make this dish, the shark fins are very important, and frankly, it's the only part of the shark that is necessary. Fishermen catch thousands of sharks per day. Once on board and alive, workers take sharp knives and slice off the shark's dorsal fins, pectoral fins and tail fin. Once the fins are collected, the shark, still alive, is thrown back into the ocean to sink to the ground, slowly dying from blood loss and lack of oxygen as it cannot swim without its fins. If one Googles images of “shark fins,” the first few lines and beyond are images of shark fins and lots of shark fins. This case of inhumanity is astonishing. The only important part of the shark is its fins and the rest of its body is discarded never to be used. It's wasteful and pretty petty, especially since they don't kill the sharks quickly before or even after. (Raloff 232) Humans have a speciesism mentality, an assumption that humans are more important than any other species that is not human (Merriam-Webster.com). Animals are treated less well because people do not view their species as equal and do not deserve the same rights as humans. So people mistreat animals, whether it's keeping them in cages to become a spectacle for the curious...... middle of paper ......Renberg and Sofia Kälvemark Sporrong. "Patient attitudes toward animal testing: 'Conducting research on animals is, I suppose, a necessary evil'." Biosocieties 9.1 (2014): 24-41. Academic research completed. Internet. May 7, 2014. Matsuoka, Atsuko and John Sorenson. “Human consequences of animal exploitation: need to redefine social well-being.” Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare 40.4 (2013): 7-32. Academic research completed. Internet. May 6, 2014.McArthur, Jo-anne. “The reality of food animals”. Canadian Dimension 47.7 (2014): 26-31. Academic research completed. Internet. May 6, 2014. Raloff, Janet “Clipping the Fin Trade.” Science News. Flight. 162 (October 12, 2002): 232-234. JSTOR. Internet. May 5, 2014. “Science proves elephants are even smarter than we thought. » Salon.com RSS. Np, March 1, 2014. Web. May 5, 2014. “speciesism.” Merriam Webster. Merriam-Webster, nd Web. May 7 2014.