During his recent tour of Asia, President Donald Trump dined on shark fin soup at an official state dinner in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The traditional dish was a dramatic departure from the normal dry hamburgers and well-done steak with ketchup of Trump’s diet.
Shark fin soup, which is sometimes served during wedding banquets, is believed to enhance sexual virility and cure impotence although no scientific evidence has been found to support this claim.
Shark fins have been linked to dementia due to the high mercury levels that can be found in large sharks that are typically used in the soups. BMAA, a neurotoxin that can accumulate in shark’s fibrous tissues, has been linked to accelerating Alzheimers and Lou Gehrig’s Disease. High levels of heavy metals have also been proven to cause sterility in men.
The soup is considered a status symbol in Asian cultures. One bowl can fetch up to $400.
The practice of shark finning, which is driven by the demand for shark fin soup, has had detrimental effects on shark populations around the globe. After sharks have had their dorsal and pectoral fins removed, they are often thrown back into the water to die. Nearly 70 million sharks are killed for just their fins every year, putting several species at risk. A recent study by researchers at Florida International University found that one-third of the shark species in the global fin trade are at risk of extinction.
“Have you tried rhino horn?”
The White House did not make any official statement as to whether the soup achieved its purported libido-rising effect for the “The Donald.” Trump, who has previously referenced his genitalia on social media, was conspicuously silent on the matter on his Twitter account. The First Lady, Melania, however, appeared to have a “sour face” in many of the photographs documenting her husband’s diplomatic mission through Asia.
According to the Cleveland Medical Clinic, nearly 70 percent of men over the age of 70 suffer from erectile dysfunction.
The President’s meal choice has received some backlash from environmental groups that aim to curb the shark fin trade of endangered species.
“We are dismayed at the news that President Trump was served and ate shark-fin soup during the recent state visit to Vietnam,” The International Fund for Animal Welfare president Azzedine Downes said in a statement. “Dozens of shark species are listed as vulnerable or endangered worldwide. Actions like this undermine global conservation efforts and signal to world leaders that the US is abandoning its leadership role.”
The Trump administration came under fire earlier this year for not following through on the Magnusson-Stevens Act’s provisions that would protect endangered dusky sharks in U.S. waters, resulting in a lawsuit being filed by the conservation group, Oceana.
“Sorry folks, I’m just not a fan of sharks—and don’t worry, they will be around long after we are gone,” Trump tweeted. “Sharks are last on my list – other than perhaps the losers and haters of the World!”
Sorry folks, I’m just not a fan of sharks – and don’t worry, they will be around long after we are gone.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2013
In March, both the House of Representatives and Senate introduced the Shark Fin Trade Elimination Act, which would make it illegal to harvest, posses or sell all shark fins in the United States. This bill is currently in committee. Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) also recently introduced a bill in the House, the “Justice Attributed to Wounded Sharks Act,” H.R. 3377, that would prohibit importing seafood products from countries that have not banned shark finning.
It is unclear whether President Trump will support the legislation.