Shark on Sidewinder oil rig, Doha, Qatar, 1966

Not my photo. Taken on the Sidewinder oil rig off Doha, Qatar, in 1966. A shark caught and prepared for food - the local workers on the rig were able to take some of the meat home to feed their families. Needed to add this scan of an old photo to my Qatar set. I have a number of other scanned photos, taken by me, to add to this set. I have a deadline, so please bear with me for posting a batch of photos that are probably not going to be of interest to most of you : ) As you can see, the whole shark is being used for food - not the senseless, cruel and destructive cutting off the fins and throwing the shark back into the ocean to die. Also, way back in 1966, there was not as much awareness about preservation and species numbers as there is now.

"Shark fin soup (or shark's fin soup) is a popular soup item of Chinese cuisine usually served at special occasions such as weddings and banquets, or as a luxury item in Chinese culture. The shark fins (which are virtually tasteless) provide texture while the taste comes from the other soup ingredients. The soup originated centuries ago during the Ming Dynasty. Demand for the soup has increased as income levels of Chinese communities worldwide have risen. International concerns over the sustainability and welfare of sharks have impacted consumption and availability of the soup." From Wikipedia. I've never understood how anyone can kill a beautiful, living creature just for the sake of a bowl of fin soup. That said, there are certain things about most cultures of the world that are not pleasant or kind.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_fin_soup