More Than 300 Shark Fins Discovered at San Antonio, Texas Restaurant

Today I learned there’s such a thing as shark fin soup. Oh yeah – I also learned that it is very much illegal in Texas.

Not that I would ever even consider eating that sort of thing. It sounds pretty damn gross. But then again, most “delicacies” do. Just give me a chili dog and tater tots and I’m set.

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Anyway, back to shark fin soup. According to South Carolina Aquarium, shark fin soup has been consumed by the Chinese for thousands of years:

Shark fin soup has been a Chinese delicacy since appearing on the tables of Chinese emperors thousands of years ago. A status symbol and celebratory meal, it was enjoyed at only the most festive occasions, like weddings and banquets, and only by the wealthy. In addition to shark fin soup being a luxury item, many Asian cultures believed it had restorative abilities and could combat age and disease.

KENS 5 reports that Texas Game Wardens assigned to Bexar County along with a K-9 team conducted a search of a seafood restaurant in San Antonio and discovered a whole bunch of shark fins back on April 13, 2022.

In all, they discovered 381 whole shark fins and just over 29 pounds of frozen shark fins in the restaurant’s freezer.

All of the fins were seized as evidence and the case is pending against the restaurant’s owners. The name of the restaurant was never disclosed.

In an effort to ensure that Texas would not be involved in the global fin trade, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a law in 2015 that banned the trade, sale, purchase, and transportation of shark fins in Texas.