Oh My Poor Sharks...

I claim to be an environmentalist and therefore I frown upon the consumption of shark's fin soup. But sometimes, holding on to your faith is more difficult than most.

I don't often get served shark's fin soup, which is a relief to me. And when I do, it becomes very difficult for me to say no. Reason?

1) It's possibly an occasion like a wedding. My poor friend had forked out a fortune to pay for it. The fish is already dead and cooked and served in front of me. It is an occasion to celebrate with my friends and I don't want to be a spoilsport.

2) Someone will point out that there is more crab meat than shark's fin in it. Again, fish is already dead and cooked.

3) Mercury content is very high, but then... you know... a bit hard to explain to everyone at the table why you refuse to eat the soup.

I have tried a few times to refuse the soup, but somehow I do end up ingesting it anyway, mercury and all. As it is, there is a very strong cultural link to it, which makes it hard to refuse the dish without being out of place and even rude! I so wish people would just stop serving the darn thing and save me this misery.

What I find most disturbing is the growing trend of non-Chinese ordering the dish which makes matters even worse. Something must be done to curb the demand. Anyone has any ideas on how to deal with this?