For their part, The Humane Society of the U.S. will be lobbying for the bill at their upcoming 2012 New York State Humane Lobby Day on Wednesday, April 18th. more ›

A bill sponsored by Assemblyman Alan Maisel and State Senator (and former casino patron) Mark Grisanti would ban the sale, possession, trade and distribution of shark fins in New York. “Action to ban the barbaric practice of shark fining is long overdue,” Maisel said in a statement. “Sharks occupy the top of the marine food chain and are a critical part of the ocean ecosystem." New York would join California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington as states where you can't improve your virility with shark-fin soup. more ›

The Humane Society tells us that, by their count, the controversial shark fin soup is on the menu in at least 55 restaurants in NYC. But one restaurant that used to belong to their ranks, Shun Lee West, has now decided to drop it. "I received many calls urging us to stop selling shark fin soup because of the horrible way sharks are killed," manager Henry Nuesch said in a statement. "I realized that it would be better for my business and for sharks to remove shark fin soup from the menu." Unfortunately, other restaurateurs aren't as enlightened as Shun Lee West; upscale places like Mr. Chow still have it on the menu, where it costs $14. more ›

The controversial shark fin soup is still being served in New York, even if some restaurants don't want to admit it. But if it lost its popularity in China, would America follow suit? According to a survey of about 1,000 Hong Kong residents (below), the popularity of shark fin soup seems to be waning, and many are finding it more acceptable to leave it off the menu at wedding banquets and large gatherings, when it is traditionally served. However, about nine percent of those surveyed were under the impression that shark fins could grow back after being cut off. Say what you will about the state of American education, but we're pretty sure our biology class never taught us that! more ›

Liquid Viagra to some, ecological insanity to others, shark fin soup has long endured as a controversial cultural touchstone, but it may go the way of whaling. The Independent reports that global opposition to shark finning—the procedure that cuts the fins off a shark and leaves it to die in the ocean—has reached a fever pitch, with environmental groups like New York City's own Shark Savers increasing their influence to countries like Canada and Australia. A Chinese legislator even proposed anti-finning legislation earlier this month but the bill is expected to die, given that 95% of the world's shark fins are consumed there. more ›

With shark populations on the decline, some unlikely supporters are coming to rescue the species: their victims. Did you know that 73 million sharks are killed a year to make shark fin soup? (Usually the sharks are finned, then left to bleed to death in the water.) Yesterday nine shark attack survivors got together at the United Nations to ask the sharks be saved from this, and other cruel, unnatural fates. more ›

Sharks may attack us humans, especially during slow news summers, but does that make it okay for us to slaughter them? Many chefs don't dare serve up shark fin soup due to its controversial nature, but Animal Tourism says there are plenty of places in the city with the dish—considered a delicacy in Chinese cuisine— on their menus. more ›