The 1990s have seen a big rise in the popularity of shark fin meat, and fishers are capitalizing on the trend by catching tens of thousands of Pacific Ocean sharks, slicing off their fins, and tossing the animal remains back in the ocean. Sun-dried shark fins can command up to $250 a pound in Hong Kong, and sales also flourish in Asian neighborhoods in California. While the U.S. government has imposed restrictions on fishing for Atlantic shark, no regulations or quotas govern Pacific sharks, and conservationists worry the Pacific populations may now be headed for a crash.
