Marine 'gold rush': demand for shark fin soup drives decimation of fish

Finning is still rampant in many countries due to diners' appetite for the delicacy, despite attempts to shut down the trade

A rising demand for shark fin soup is wiping out more than 73 million sharks every year, fuelling a practice labelled the marine "gold rush".

Finning, when a shark's fin is sliced off while at sea and the body dumped back into the ocean, is rampant in many regions - fins are one of the most expensive seafood items, ending up mostly in soup. The delicacy had been particularly popular in China but a nationwide conservation campaign saw consumption drop 80% since 2011.