In 2006, Chinese basketball star Yao Ming publicly pledged to stop eating shark fin soup, a popular delicacy in his country. After realizing the cruelty and waste associated with shark finning, a practice that is forcing some species toward extinction, Yao began to speak out against the killing of sharks for their fins and signed on as an ambassador for WildAid's shark campaign.
"I urge China to lead by banning shark fin soup," Yao pleaded, "And I urge business leaders to end the consumption of shark fin soup at business events. Unless we act now, we will lose many shark populations, impacting our oceans worldwide."