About 30 protesters gathered for an hour in front of a MUJI shop to demonstrate against the sale of shark fin soup.<br/> <br />MUJI is a popular Japanese retail company known for minimalist designs in consumer and household products. They also happen to sell shark fin soup.<br/> <br />Animal rights groups say sharks are finned while still alive and usually drown when thrown back into the water.<br/> <br />The practice also poses a threat to several species that play a vital role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems, environmental groups add.<br/> <br />A surge in demand for shark fins, mostly for soup and traditional medicine in Asia, and in particular China, means they can fetch up to $1,300 U.S. dollars each.
