A Chinese industry association has drawn heavy fire when it claimed that it was a huge waste of resources not to eat shark fins, even though society has grown more environmentally aware.

“To say that the consumption of shark fins leads to the extinction of sharks is not a fair judgment,” said Cui He, vice president of China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Association that hosted a meeting on the sustainable utilization of sharks on June 20. “There are no fishing groups in China that solely target sharks. Since the sharks often live together with other species, they will be caught accidentally when people are aiming for other fishes.”

“As long as we are catching the commercial fish, we will definitely catch the sharks. It is inevitable… most of all, those captured sharks can barely survive and it will be a huge waste if we don’t make best use of them.” He added.

Shark fins are a popular item in Chinese cuisine, usually served at special occasions such as weddings and banquets. They are seen as a luxury item in Chinese culture. The Chinese people believe that shark fin soup can boost sexual potency, enhance skin quality, increase energy and prevent heart disease.

Traditionally, consumption of shark fins is a part of Chinese culture. Indeed, some experts today argue that the consumption of shark fins does not pose any threat to the endangered species, but instead, makes an effective use of the disused resources. It is a symbol of the frugal life in traditional China..

The insiders also believed that the traditional cuisine has been wrongly judged by the international community, which causes issues with consumers, who may second-guess their choice of cuisine, and blackens the global image of Chinese fishery.