The cruel practice of shark-finning — in which the fins are sliced off of living sharks to make soup — has found its way into the heavily protected waters of Egypt’s Red Sea. The discovery of illegal shark-fin fishing in the region has alarmed both environmentalist and tourism operators in the region. Underwater tourism in the Red Sea is a multi-million dollar industry, and every shark is estimated to be worth as much as $10,000 in income brought in by tourists. Trouble is, shark fins fetch a substantial wad of cash, too — as much as several thousand dollars per fin, which makes eliminating the trade difficult.
