Here's What Happened When Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay Tried To Investigate The Illegal Shark Trade

Sharks are hunted not for their meat, but for their chewy, tasteless fins, which have been a Chinese status symbol since the Ming Dynasty, when it was cooked specifically for emperors.

Demand for the fins soared in the late 20th century, and today they are commonly consumed at Chinese weddings, banquets, and business dinners.

It's also had a serious impact on shark populations worldwide, with an estimated 100 million sharks killed each year to obtain the valuable fins.

In 2012, the European Union joined the U.S., Canada, Brazil, South Africa and other countries in banning the practice of shark finning — removing a shark's fin and returning the maimed animal to the ocean to die. New York even passed legislation this year to ban citizens from trading shark fins. But the practice persists.

In 2011, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay did an investigative report on the shark fin trade in London, Taiwan, and Costa Rica. You can watch the entire documentary here or on Amazon.