With doctors questioning the purported health benefits of shark fin and environmentalists calling for a ban, Xu Wei wonders if the expensive dish is endangered.

　　In China, shark fin soup is a special occasion dish, a prized delicacy savored by gourmets, known in ancient times as the "Emperor's Fin" and obscenely expensive.

　　"The high-quality fin is very expensive," confirms Chef Qiu Weijie of the Li Palace Chinese Restaurant at the Radisson Plaza Xing Guo Hotel, Shanghai. "The most popular in our restaurant sells for 500 yuan (US$60.24) a bowl, but we still get about 100 customers every day for shark fin."

　　Recognizing that even those who can't afford 500 yuan bowls of soup might still want to savor it, one Shanghai restaurant has introduced a lower priced shark fin dinner. At the end of last month, the Xinxin Shark Fin Restaurant introduced a 99-yuan-set with a Thai-style shark fin soup and a grilled steak. At prices like that, how does the restaurant make any money?

　　According to Sheng Wai Cheng, general manager of the restaurant, their main motivation is to bring this delicacy to the people.

　　"We want to make the 'Emperor's Fin' the 'people's fin'," she says. "At our prices, it is no longer unaffordable. People can enjoy it at even casual family gatherings.

　　"Of course, our profit is very very limited," she adds.

　　Xinxin is able to offer a deal like this, however, because not all shark fins are created equal. Restaurants serve one of four different types of shark fins: the top, dorsal fin and tail fin, which are pricey and have the best quality; the two side fins and the bottom fins, which are of lower quality. Xinxin uses the bottom fins for its set-menu dish, while Li Palace says it uses the top, dorsal fin and tail fin.

　　About 50 customers a day come in for the shark fin dinner, says Sheng, most of whom are white-collar executives and businessmen.

　　Many are like Stella Ji, a marketing and sales executive, who takes her clients out for shark fin soup several times a month.

　　"Ordering sharks' fin shows respect and honor for prestigious guests," says Ji. "It helps to win the trust of our clients."

　　For Fan Yong, an IT worker, a shark fin dinner is as much about the ambience as it is about the dish.

　　"The fine china used for sharks' fin is just so exquisite," Fan says. "If you consider the whole experience of eating shark fin, it is definitely worthy of being a status symbol."

　　Chinese have been eating shark fin (yuchi or "fish wing") since the beginning of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

　　The thick shark fin soup is usually served with chicken broth, crab meat, high-quality ham, rare mushrooms or dried scallops. Yet for all the buzz about this dish, the key ingredient - the sharks' fin - is essentially tasteless even after absorbing the flavors of the other ingredients.

　　"The ingredients are boiled and steamed for hours with the goal of releasing their flavor into the soup," Sheng explains. "Fresh shark fin usually has a pungent, unpleasant smell. To get rid of the smell, the dried fin must be boiled, soaked and simmered at different temperatures."

　　Dinners usually include scallions, ginger and red vinegar at the table.

　　In addition to the soup, shark fins can also be braised, stewed or steamed.

　　The dish should be kept warm, to prevent flavor loss. A good sharks' fin soup is tender, smooth and delicious.

　　"The fins of a single shark can only serve eight people," Sheng adds. "That's why it is so expensive."

　　The shark fin became popular mainly because of its health benefits. Some believe that it can improve the immune system and boost vital energy. Others even consider it the secret to a beautiful complexion and healthy blood pressure.

　　"Shark fin soup is regarded as a tonic in traditional Chinese medicine," says Li Genfang of the Shanghai Longhua Hospital. "It's good at nourishing the blood, invigorating the kidneys and the lungs, and improving digestion."

　　However, Peter Y. Ng, a doctor at World Link Medical and Dental Centers (Shanghai), says that health benefits of the shark fin are exaggerated.

　　"There is no positive medical proof of the health value (of shark fin) in Western medicine. There is no magical ingredient - you can get the same nutritional benefits from a well-balanced diet rich in vegetables and fruits."

　　It's not just Western doctors who pooh-pooh the benefits of eating shark fins. Environmentalists, citing a declining global shark population and the inhumane way the fins are harvested, also advocate a ban on shark fin.

　　Every year, at least 8,000 tons of shark fins are shipped to Southeast Asia, according to industry figures. Hong Kong, Taiwan and Guangdong Province are the largest Chinese markets for shark fin. Singapore is also a big market.

　　When sharks are caught, some fishermen cut the fins off while they are alive.

　　"I have never eaten sharks' fin, and I never will," says Zhu Ying, a university student. "I can't bear to think how many sharks are killed just for human pleasure. Or worse: putting the sharks back into ocean after cutting off their fins."

　　The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reports that 30 to 100 million sharks are killed every year. Although some are used in shark products, such as sharkskin, which is used for high-quality leather, and liver oil, which is used in cosmetics, it is the high demand that drives the market and has led to the decline of shark populations globally.

　　Scientists are particularly concerned about overfishing and the damages it causes to other marine life.

　　"Declining shark populations is harmful for the ocean's ecosystems," notes Professor Chen Liqiao, a biologist with East China Normal University. "Sharks have long life cycles, and it could take years to replenish their numbers if that is even possible. Once the number of the ocean's top predators dramatically declines, it will destroy the balance in the marine world."

　　The US-based WildAid charity organization has issued a petition to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, indicating that all countries should ban the trade of shark fins.

　　"Most of our shark fins are imported from Guangdong Province," says Sheng of the Xinxin restaurant. "Sometimes, dried fins have to be shipped from South Africa as the number of sharks in Southeast Asia is shrinking. If there were a worldwide ban on the shark fin trade, we would have no choice but to close our restaurant."