Despite the global campaign to curb the consumption of shark fin soup, the demand for the delicacy continues to soar. In some parts of the world, a bowl of the shark fin soup can cost an astounding $100 a bowl.  As a result, sharks everywhere continue to swim for their lives.

In many Asian markets, the tailfin of the basking shark sells for as much as $10,000 - a good motivation for fisherman to continue the slaughter. Slaughter is the word. More than 10,000 tons of shark fin are exported to China, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore every year. Other species on the slaughter list include the hammerhead, mako and the blue shark .

Much of the sharks' fins in the trade are cut from living sharks. Since its meat has low commercial value, the sharks are thrown back to make room for more fins. Although still alive, the fin-less sharks die either from suffocation or are eaten by other predators because they can no longer swim.

Why is shark fin soup in such big demand? Shark fin itself does not have much flavor or nutrients but they are traditional symbol of wealth and social status. Last month NBA superstar Yao Ming, himself a person of wealth and prestige, vowed never to sip another bowl of shark fin soup ever as part of shark conservation campaign.