Sharks are killed mainly for the Chinese delicacy called shark fin soup. Major government corruption is said to support the industry, and major declines in shark populations have been recorded in recent years (some species have been depleted by over 90%). Only a small amount of the shark is actually kept. In a process called finning, the fins are cut from living sharks, and then the remainder of the fish, which is often still alive, is thrown back into the sea. When returned to the ocean, the finless shark is unable to swim and sinks to the ocean bottom to die a slow death.