In the oceans of the world, sharks swim at the top of the food chain. But in Hawaii, they are the prey of commercial fishermen, who engage in the controversial practice of finning. They cut the fins off, then throw the carcass back in the water. They unavoidably catch sharks in the process.
Fishermen say there is little market for most shark meat, which is heavy in uric acid.
You pay some bills. But a shark without fins can't survive, and opponents of finning want the practice banned as wasteful and cruel. Some experts also wonder if too many sharks are being taken and are pushing for laws to ban finning. Because the fins are sold informally at a dockside cash market, it's difficult to track how many sharks are being killed. The National Marine Fisheries says it has no firm numbers, and fishermen say the number is small.