http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-shark-van20130313,0,3883920.story

Now as appaling as the death is why does this one shark make headline news and the 100M others slaughtered every year for fins do not?

They all count.  

FYI for those who are not paying attention:  

The shark fin soup industry slices the fins off the caught shark and then tosses the LIVING animal back in to the sea........TO SUFFOCATE.  It is beyond horrible.  And it is all because the fins add the "right" texture to the soup.  That's it !  But then, the rising Chinese could not care any less.  I cannot type my current opinions of some Asian cultures.  

If you question this just Wiki "Shark Fin Soup" and you will learn all about it.

It shows what Asian culture (and it is largely Asian) will do to animals of the ocean for their pleasure. It is not just ocean animals.  Currently, it is the Chinese that are behind the large push toward elephant extinction......just so they can have their ivory. 

But there is very encouraging news too.  Despite the pigheaded insistence of the Asian culture to continue its horrible tradition, shark fin soup is being increasingly banned.

At least in America (Europe too?), sharks are finally beginning to be looked at in a different light and it is good news for the sharks.  Forcing the damned Chinese and Japanese (regarding their ongoing whale slaughter despite an international ban) is altogether another problem and one that I strongly feel that Americans (we!) should force our government to act against.  

AND ELEPHANTS AND RHINOS
I just sent two mailings to new Sec of State John Kerry asking him when it is that he is going to take action against China and the elephant/rhino poachers.  Hillary Clinton talked about doing it.  Did something happen?  Maybe it did.  I seem to recall seeing some video of troops over there in the jungle.  Does anyone know the current status regarding American help.  Don't tell me it is not important enough (even in these economic times).   

I want action and all nature photographers should too.    These are the animals that you love to photograph.  

I am reminded of the picture of the bloated carcass of rhino mother.  Her face is hacked off.  Her baby was standing next to her body.  The poachers ran her off a cliff and then hacked her horn off.  It took a few days for the baby to find its murdered mother.  Now is that important enough to take action against ?

PLEASE GET INVOLVED......EVEN IF IT IS NOT COMFORTABLE FOR YOU.  You will feel better.  Stewardship of the natural world is the responsibility of all of us, everywhere.

It's NOT just for the texture. It is used as miracle medicine to cure diseases. A lot of Asians believes that rare and exotic animal parts some how can cure every disease on earth. Like people kill tigers for their bones to cure arthritis and other bone-related-illness.
Also, way back thousand years ago, only kings and the elites had the right to eat these exotic/rare animals. Now a lot of Asian gets richer, what do they do, of course they'll try to eat these animal to show off their elite status. Sad but true.
Not only Asian, when I went back to visit I saw a lot of Caucasian asked and purchased these things on black market too. I guess when you are desperate for a cure; you don't care much about anything else.

Seems to be a lot of anger against Asians in this thread.  People who live in glass houses...  Americans still hunt whales, Scandinavians still hunt whales (bloody wilson).  The human race are jerks, not just certain races.

The evidence is overwhelming that at least two Asian countries are demonstrating a blatant disregard for the welfare of the critically endangered bluefin tuna, International Whaling Laws and agreements and a horrible, horrible lust for elephant and rhino ivory.  It does not matter what the reasons for the demand for the ivory are.  There is no excuse or justification for murdering elephants and rhinos and leaving their orphaned babies.  Today, unless something changes, the elephant is on an inevitable and increasingly rapid course toward extermination in the wild.  And the increase in the slaughter is overwhelmingly due to Chinese demand.  

Please:  "Google Images" elephant poaching and LOOK AT THE HORRIBLE IMAGES.  Now, the ivory is going to China.  The truth stands alone.    

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_fin_soup

Poaching of African elephants is growing.[47][48][49] In 2012, The New York Times reported on a large upsurge in ivory poaching, with about 70% flowing to China.[50][51]

http://www.seashepherd.org/whales/japan.html

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/WWF_urges_Japanese_to_stop_eating_endangered_bluefin_tuna_999.html

http://www.treehugger.com/economics/cites-votes-no-on-bluefin-tuna-ban-japanese-embassy-serves-the-endangered-delicacy-at-a-pre-convention-reception.html

The Bluefin Tuna is the most critically endangered fish on Planet Earth.
"Japan consumes three-quarters of the global bluefin catch, a highly prized sushi ingredient known in Japan as "kuro maguro" (black tuna) and dubbed by sushi connoisseurs the "black diamond" because of its scarcity."    

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-05/sushi-restaurant-pays-17m-for-bluefin-tuna/4453788

http://www.inquisitr.com/469993/japan-bluefin-tuna-sells-for-1-76-million-draws-criticism/