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[[File:Shark fins Hong Kong.jpg|alt=Shark fins Hong Kong|thumb|Shark fins Hong Kong]]
Shark finning is a practice that involves removing the fins of live sharks and discarding the rest of their bodies back into the ocean. The fins are then sold to markets around the world to be used in shark fin soup.

Sharks are apex predators that play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of ocean ecosystems. However, the demand for shark fin soup has led to the unsustainable and often illegal practice of shark finning.

Shark finning is a particularly cruel practice because it often involves cutting off the shark's fins while the animal is still alive. The shark is then tossed back into the ocean, where it is unable to swim and eventually dies from suffocation, blood loss, or predation. Sharks are slow-growing and reproduce slowly, making them particularly vulnerable to overfishing. As a result, many shark species are now endangered or critically endangered.<sup>[citation needed]</sup>