End this 'barbaric and cruel waste'
May 31, 2005

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Metro/images/shark0531.jpg
A worker shovels shark fins at a Hong Kong warehouse, in a lucrative trade that threatens several shark species. AFP

Marine conservationist Brian Darvell does not mince his words when it comes to the controversial shark's fin business.

"It's a barbaric and completely wasteful trade," Darvell said in an interview with The Standard.

He caused an international outcry earlier this month when he sent a letter to Disney's US-based chief executive, Michael Eisner, strongly objecting to the theme park's decision to serve shark's fin soup for wedding banquets when it opens Hong Kong Disneyland in September.

Hong Kong Disneyland was unmoved by the outrage among green groups following Darvell's letter.

Disney spokeswoman Esther Wong said on May 27 that the park is sticking with its decision to serve shark's fin because it is "part of the local Chinese culture."

She said the need to respect cultures must be balanced with caring for the environment.

But Darvell, 57 - a professor at the University of Hong Kong Dental School who has devoted himself to marine conservation since he was in secondary school in England - said it is ironic that Hong Kong Disneyland will offer shark's fin on the menu while saying it cares about environmental issues.

In his letter to Eisner, Darvell said, "I think this is a mistake of the highest order. No matter that such soup is perceived as prestigious by some consumers, from whom you simply wish to make money, shame on you."

The letter opened a Pandora's Box as many green groups, including the Worldwide Fund for Nature, Greenpeace and US based conservation group WildAid, threatened to mount a global boycott of Disneyland if it insists on serving shark's fin soup.

What really irks Darvell, who has lived in Hong Kong for about 20 years, is Disney's assertion that shark's fin is part of Chinese culture.

Darvell, former chairman of Hong Kong Marine Conservation and a member of the South China Diving Club, described Disney's "cultural card" defense as "slightly dishonest," given the global concern over the fate of sharks, which he says are "beautiful and fantastic."

"It is not cultural, but a distortion.It is the only way for [Disney to] defend putting shark's fin soup on the menu," he said.

He argued that shark's fin soup is not something that has been on the Chinese menu for a "particularly long time," but that it is a relatively recent phenomenon. "What is the tradition ... 10 years, 50 years or 100 years? Where do you draw the line? Playing the cultural card is a shame."

The fin itself is almost tasteless, but in southern China it is regarded as a sign of wealth and is often served at traditional Chinese wedding banquets. It is time to change and remove "barbaric" attitudes of eating shark's fin, Darvell said.

He said that Hong Kong Disneyland has committed a "simple error"- one that would be easy to rectify by withdrawing shark's fin from the menu.

It would not make any difference to the customers, as the soup is not one of Disney's main "selling points," he added.

Most of the shark fins imported into Hong Kong are kept mainly in Sai Ying Pun which, according to the New York-based Worldlife Conservation Society, is the world's largest shark-fin trading center.

Ironically, it is only a five-minute walk from Darvell's office.

He admits he is unable to explain the issue to his "neighbors" as it involves their livelihood. But he wants to ask the traders, "Why is there a market for it, and why is shark's fin valued so highly?"

Trade in shark fins is a profitable business. One trader told The Standard he can sell shark's fins for HK$7,000, or more, per kilogram. Between 30 and 40 species are commonly traded, with the fins imported from all over the world.

A study in 2003 by the Wildlife Conservation Society estimated Hong Kong handles 50 to 85 percent of the world's shark fin imports.

The high demand has also seen smuggling of fins, violating international law, said Darvell, who added that some countries have banned the trade.

According to China's official newspaper, the People's Daily, in 2001 three mainland seafood processing companies were found to have smuggled 2.3 tons of shark's fin, which were sold on the domestic market for huge profits between June and November.

The total amount of shark's fin smuggled was worth 4.6 million yuan (HK$4.3 million), with about 300,000 yuan in taxes being evaded.

To combat the trade, the US Shark Finning Prohibition Act went into effect on March 13, 2002.

The law bans US vessels and foreign vessels in US waters from possessing fins unless the rest of a shark's carcass is also on board.

Many Asian consumers might not be aware of the cruelty involved in removing the fin from a shark, which Darvell described as "barbaric." The fins are often hacked off and the shark dumped back into the sea and left to die an excruciating death.

Environmentalists say millions of sharks are killed each year for their fins, driving many species close to extinction. Some reports say that, of about 400 shark species, 185 are threatened.

Nuptial diners try to save face, not sharks
Hong Kong Standard
Thursday, August 28, 2008

Face and tradition outweigh ecology when it comes to wedding banquets, according to the manager of a top restaurant chain.

"Only a few couples have requested we change the menu due to environmental concerns," Maxim's Group Cantonese Cuisine senior operations manager Raymond Wong Tat-fai said yesterday.

Wong said most newlyweds still asked for a traditional menu not only to accommodate the requests of parents, but also because they fear they will lose face if shark's fin soup and steamed coral fish are not on the tables during the banquet.

Shark's fin and coral fish represent extravagance and are considered a must for banquets despite the fact both are on the list of endangered species.

In February 2007, 20.4 percent of all sharks and related species were included in the World Conservation Union red list as being threatened with extinction.

Sharks are difficult to replenish because they grow slowly and their breeding rate cannot keep up with demand. In addition, it is hard to breed sharks in captivity as they are solitary hunters and prefer to act alone.

Although specially bred coral fish are now more common on banquet tables, it may be too late to preserve the wild coral fish. According to research conducted by Hong Kong University in June, the once- abundant yellow croaker has now disappeared from local waters.

"It is very difficult to change traditional concepts and we can only do it slowly," Eco Association supervisor Ivan Wu Chan-kin said.

Rising Asian shark fin demand hits stocks-report

OSLO, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Rising demand for shark fin soup in Asia is spurring illegal fishing and contributing to a plunge in stocks, a report said on Monday.

The study, by the Australian government and the wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic, urged governments to crack down on illegal catches. Registered legal shark exports totalled $310 million worldwide in 2005, up from $237 million in 2002.

"As the world's demand for sharks continues to grow, shark populations are plummeting," said a statement accompanying the 57-page report. One in five shark species is considered threatened with extinction.

"The Asian market for shark fin is the key driver of shark fishing globally and is fuelling illegal fishing and high levels of legitimate shark fishing of questionable sustainability," it said.

Rising affluence in Asia was stoking demand for shark fin, widely viewed as a delicacy when shredded in soup. Main fin importers are China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan. The report said that only six of the top 20 shark-catching countries -- Taiwan, Mexico, the United States, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand -- had complied with a U.N. call in 2000 for all to work out plans for proper management of stocks.

Experts of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization will meet from Nov. 3-6 in Rome to review measures to protect sharks.

In Hong Kong, the world's biggest shark-fin market, the most commonly traded types were shortfin Mako, blue, sandbar, bull, hammerhead, silky and thresher sharks.

The study said it was impossible to say exactly how many sharks were illegally caught.

But a review of vessel seizures showed illegal catches were a problem around the world with "hotspots" off Central and South America and in the western and central Pacific.

Sharks were sometimes caught as a by-catch by tuna fishing vessels. In many cases, crews on illegal vessels slice the fins off sharks and dump the less valuable carcasses overboard.

Off Australia, for instance, 350 illegal vessels were intercepted in 2006-07, mostly Indonesian, with a total 1.6 tonnes of shark fin aboard.

The Traffic organisation is run by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the WWF conservation group.

I will NEVER give up eating shark-fin. They better start breeding and raising them.

My lifetime business will go to the guy who pioneers a reasonably accurate man-made alternative.

They probably have some poisonous fakes selling in China already made from some combination of industrial chemicals ;)

Hong Kong shark fin traders criticise US report
2 December 2009
Agence France Presse

Hong Kong shark fin merchants on Wednesday reacted angrily to a US study that said meat from endangered species was being sold in the city's markets to make a popular soup.

In the new study for the journal Endangered Species Research, US scientists said they had used DNA testing to trace the geographic origin of shark fins on sale in Hong Kong. They found 21 percent of the fins came from endangered scalloped hammerhead shark stocks in the western Atlantic.

But the Hong Kong Shark Fin Trade Merchant's Association said its members had not done anything illegal.

"The study is exaggerated," a spokesman for the association told AFP.

"We are not doing anything against the law. The sale of endangered scalloped hammerhead shark fins has not been made illegal here."

The scientists are calling for the March 2010 meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to draw up trade regulations to protect hammerhead and other shark populations not covered by the pact.

One kilogramme (2.2 pounds) of scalloped hammerhead shark fin can sell for 120 US dollars or more in the city, according to the researchers.

Shark fins are used to make a soup that is considered a rare delicacy and a must-have at many Hong Kong wedding banquets.

Mak Ching-po, chairman of the Hong Kong Dried Seafood and Grocery Merchants Association, also criticised the study.

"Shark populations will grow exponentially if we don't keep fishing them," Mak told Hong Kong daily The Standard.

"As a result, humans will be in short supply of smaller fish such as garoupa, as sharks will eat them."

Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said it would abide by any new regulations adopted after the CITES meeting next year.

"Hong Kong is committed to the protection of endangered species, and will closely follow the international control as required by CITES on the trade in endangered species," it said in a statement.

weather or not its culture or not, stop eating endangered species and stop being so cruel to animals! this is the one thing i dont like about hk/ china!!!

Mmmm Shark Fin soup. I could go for some now!

american...

Restaurants and hotels sign up to provide shark-free banquet menus
6 May 2010
South China Morning Post

Twelve hotels and restaurants are offering shark-free banquet menus as part of a World Wildlife Fund initiative to help save shark stocks from being decimated.

The development is a big step forward for conservation efforts in Hong Kong, which handles up to 80 per cent of the global shark fin trade. Last year, the city imported more than 9,300 tonnes of shark fins, WWF said.

Dr Andy Cornish, the group's Hong Kong director of conservation, said members had approached between 30 and 40 restaurants and hotels to join the scheme and were expecting more to sign up soon.

The 12 "founding" participants had all agreed immediately to join the scheme, which Cornish said was heartening given Hongkongers' love of shark fins and other exotic but often endangered seafood species.

The restaurants and hotels have also agreed to ensure the rest of the seafood on their menus comes from sustainable sources.

Shark's fin soup will still be available on their existing menus.

The hotels which have joined the scheme are JW Marriott Hotel, The Excelsior and The Langham; the restaurants are five branches of Choi Fook Royal Banquet, and two branches each of The Banqueting House, and The China House.

Toby Kwan Hoi-lam, marketing manager of LH Group, which owns two of the participating restaurants said their new shark-free menu for 12 costs HK$4,980, while the existing ones with shark start at HK$7,000.

Cornish said alternative banquet menus was a significant step forward to reducing Hong Kong's impact on many shark populations worldwide.

"We've heard of countless battles by individuals who've struggled to find shark-free banquets in recent years, and these moves are a response to those desires for consumer options," he said.

Angel Kwong Hung, president of the Wedding Management Association, said 5 per cent of weddings were now environmentally friendly. Apart from "sustainable produce" banquet menus, the wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses were rented, while transport was by low-pollution hybrid vehicles.

what a self-deceiving & inhuman method of slaughtering...


forward: 美味魚翅背後的故事

幾張相片是每位潛水員最不想見到的場面。
新年假期有一班香港潛水員到菲律賓Philippines 潛水時於淺水海面發現有條年幼鯨鯊
就是鄭依健幫WWF拍宣揚海洋保育那種魚
它是海洋最大種魚類，成年可長 12米，重二十噸。
但品性惇良，大嘴無牙，專吃浮游生物，絕不襲擊人
其後將它救起
竟發現它的魚鰭全部被割走(等同將它的手手腳腳全部割斷)，
其後它就慢慢流血離開了海洋。

魚鰭就是中國人認為最珍貴的魚翅，但其實魚翅本身沒有味道，全靠高湯的鮮味。現在全球每年捕殺一億條鯊魚，鯊魚繁殖緩慢。如果繼續大量捕殺下去，衹會使鯊魚絕種，破壞海洋生態鏈。而且鯊魚身處海洋生物鏈頂層，生平吃了很多其他魚類，體內積聚不少水銀和重金屬，故魚翅含水銀，不宜多吃。
消費剌激生產，只要減少市場對魚翅的需求，就能令漁民少殺鯊魚，為海洋保育。


日期:大年初二. 時間:第一潛後SIT時.
當時同行之友在淺灘發現它後一心以為只是走失母鯨之小鯨,

http://xba.xanga.com/5a5f703675330267044730/m211913854.jpg

及後發現大部份手腳給人盜走了! 一刻間全世界靜下了. 每個人的心情.........

http://x21.xanga.com/1b3f740373430267044720/m211913869.jpg
http://x49.xanga.com/c4af763672530267044712/m211913872.jpg

突然...它看著我, 它看著每一個人, 好像用最後的記憶把兇手面孔記好.
當時真感到自己就是那個兇手.....人啊....萬物之靈.......
http://xb0.xanga.com/5caf473667331267044710/m211913914.jpg

檢查後發覺尾部尚有部份未被切除, 相信是有船隻經過,兇手才迅速離開現場.....
奇怪地每個人並沒多說話, 可能大家心情己找不到合適的形容辭....
小小生命(5m-6m長)等待著大海把它帶走, 可能要待上幾天, 上天才伸出憐憫之手.
http://xfa.xanga.com/ef9f973168c32267044708/m211913967.jpg

不能等了,我們做了殺鯨兇手....... 讓他返回大海也是死路一條
http://xc2.xanga.com/8e0f963178332267044707/m211913969.jpg

看見它(上岸)後, 頭部動了幾次.....十分鐘後再動......十多分鐘後再動......
二十分鐘後再動....血水在傷囗慢慢流出, 這景像一世永印在我心中.
http://xf7.xanga.com/e5f8425a14c48267044700/m211914006.jpg

四十分鐘後,它再沒游動.... 沒有魚之骨架.. 再沒法擺動原本在身上,
將來會在桌上的魚翅 ....一切回復平靜, 可能它尚有一點氣息,
可能真的解脫還要更長時間, 只是再沒氣力了.......
我們只可等政府人員到場交待事件.
http://x44.xanga.com/f99f903a55d32267044698/m211914020.jpg

真的有需要吃魚翅嗎? 一世它的影像都會印在我腦海.....
http://x66.xanga.com/dcaf672a69332267044697/m213017049.jpg

此次是我第二次親眼見到鯨鯊，但今次是極度不開心而且心痛，
眼前只可見鯨鯊寶寶慢慢的... 慢慢在極度殘忍，痛苦中流鮮血等死
{求生不得、求死不能}，自己感受到好羞恥，決定以後不再食魚翅......

http://x26.xanga.com/bd5f933a43132267044696/m211914142.jpg

http://x94.xanga.com/da0f952017d32267044683/m211829585.jpg

http://x22.xanga.com/175f702b29533267044676/m213017034.jpg

http://x9d.xanga.com/cd9f622a49532267044678/m213017036.jpg

http://x46.xanga.com/be1f912016332267044672/m211829586.jpg

http://x67.xanga.com/675f462b29530267044681/m213017039.jpg

http://x71.xanga.com/b6bf413650d31267044731/m211914103.jpg


請盡一份力，將這信息傳開吧!!

ELtgIhD-4yk

Y5hA00VZooc

:cry: No more shark fin soup for me!

barbaric

Culinary traditions are challenged as Hong Kongers wage campaign against eating shark's fin
18 August 2010

HONG KONG (AP) - When Steven Leung and Sylvia Cheung celebrated their nuptials in this southern Chinese financial center recently, they lavished their guests with one sumptuous dish after another -- bird nest soup, lobster, abalone.

One traditional dish, however, was missing from the 13-course Cantonese banquet. The newlyweds chose not to serve shark fin soup.

"I saw the cruelty in shark slaughtering in online videos. The way the fish is dumped back into the water -- it is just inhumane," Leung said, referring to the practice of hacking off the fins of sharks, then setting them free.

The Hong Kong couple are part of a growing grass-roots movement in this global hub of shark fin consumption that aims to remove the staple of gourmet Chinese cuisine from restaurant menus.

"Shark fin is not a necessity at banquets, as long as guests are well-treated and there is good food," said Cheung. "We have great substitutes for the soup that are equally as prestigious and exquisite."

For centuries, shark fin, usually served as soup, has been a coveted delicacy in Chinese cooking, extolled for its supposed ability to boost sexual potency, enhance skin quality, increase one's energy (or "qi"), prevent heart diseases and lower cholesterol.

To prepare for soup, dried fin first is soaked in water overnight, then boiled for several hours to soften the cartilage and remove impurities. It then is cooked in a rich chicken broth with salted ham, mushrooms, dried scallops and abalone. Shark fin itself is tasteless, but has a slippery and glutinous texture.

It is an especially cherished menu item in wealthy Hong Kong, a pricey status symbol for its materialistic and status-conscious people. Depending on the quantity and the quality of the fin in the soup, the dish can cost from $10 to $150 a bowl.

"Hong Kong is the Grand Central Station in the shark fin trade," said Canadian filmmaker Rob Stewart, who chronicled the shark-hunting industry in the 2007 documentary "Sharkwater."

Nearly 80 percent of Cantonese-speaking residents in the city of 7 million had consumed shark fin, according to a poll conducted by the conservation group WWF Hong Kong in 2005. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature estimates that the former British colony handles between 50 to 80 percent of the global shark fin trade. Hong Kong was the world's top importer of shark fin in 2007, taking in 10,209 metric tons, or a total value of $276.7 million, according to the latest figures from the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization.

However, activists like Stewart are making an impression on a younger generation of Hong Kongers like the Leungs by touting the gruesome toll of the dining habits of their parents and ancestors.

As many as 73 million sharks are killed annually for their fins, according to a 2006 study by fisheries expert Shelley Clarke, a visiting researcher at London's Imperial College. Shark populations have plummeted from overfishing, with nearly a third of open ocean sharks facing extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

In April, the state of Hawaii in the United States banned the sale and possession of shark fin. The campaign is now gaining ground in Hong Kong.

Computer engineer Clement Lee set up a Facebook group in March urging locals to cut their gift money to newlyweds by 30 percent if they serve shark fin soup at their wedding banquets. The group now has more than 18,000 supporters. In July, he forced Citibank Hong Kong drop a shark fin set dinner discount for its credit card holders after criticizing the marketing campaign in another Facebook group.

And since June, Hong Kong environmental group Green Sense has signed up 182 primary and secondary schools for their "Sharks We Care" campaign, with the schools pledging not to serve shark fin at banquets and activities.

Responding to the new consciousness, local restaurants are starting to offer shark-fin free menus. Chinese restaurant chain L.H. Group said the response has been positive.

"We get a lot of inquiries and people interested in ordering the new menu weekly since we rolled out in May," said company spokeswoman Toby Kwan.

Local shark fin traders also say they are noticing the shift in attitudes.

"Our shark fin business has dropped considerably. Environmental groups are writing such bad stories about shark fin, a lot of people do not want to buy shark fin now," said Mak Ching-po, chairman of the Hong Kong Dried Seafood and Grocery Merchants Association. He would not give an exact figure.

Still, some outside observers say conservation activists are waging a difficult battle against a deeply rooted tradition.

"The consumption perhaps will drop but it cannot be eliminated," Hong Kong Chefs Association chairman Andreas Muller said. "Some restaurants may boycott shark fin, but there are others who will continue. It's a custom, same as eating sausage in Germany."

Lee, the Facebook campaigner, acknowledged that for many Hong Kongers it is more important to demonstrate their generosity than to save sharks.

"Many hosts still believe that it is an insult to the guests -- or `losing face' -- to not serve shark fin soup in a formal banquet," he said.

The Hong Kong government also has been lukewarm. Green Sense contacted 56 government departments in May, urging them to ban shark fin from official functions. Only 14 departments responded, with just one agreeing to the request.

It also is unclear whether the newfound awareness in Hong Kong will filter through to booming mainland China, where increasingly affluent residents are fast developing a taste for expensive dining.

"The mainland Chinese market for shark fin is large, and there is an upward trend because mainland Chinese are becoming wealthier. But I believe changing attitudes here can make an impact on consumption across the border," WWF Hong Kong spokeswoman Silvy Pun said.

I never like shark fin. Disgusting.

I always love shark fin soup, but I always knew since a kid that...

Culinary traditions are challenged as Hong Kongers wage campaign against eating shark's fin
18 August 2010

To prepare for soup, dried fin first is soaked in water overnight, then boiled for several hours to soften the cartilage and remove impurities. It then is cooked in a rich chicken broth with salted ham, mushrooms, dried scallops and abalone. Shark fin itself is tasteless, but has a slippery and glutinous texture.



It is the intensely rich tasting broth that makes this soup, whereas the consomme of turtle totally depends on turtles. Imitation shark fin has been available for quite sometime already. If you like shark fin soup (the unique tasting broth) for how it tastes rather than what it represents, you should be open to shark fin soup made with with imitation shark. Tradition can definitely move forward with the zeitgeist, in this case.

Officials refuse to go without shark's fin soup
22 December 2010
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong officials have refused a request by green groups to stop serving shark's fin at government banquets, saying they need to stay on good terms with the industry.

The environmental groups made the request to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department at a meeting on Monday, but an assistant director declined.

Activist Clement Lee Yui-wah, who attended the meeting, said he was disappointed. "They are not willing to take a step further," he said.

A spokeswoman for the department said the city was committed to protecting endangered species by adhering to an international convention designed to ensure trade did not threaten endangered species' survival.

"It is possible more species will be included in the convention in the future. But now we will only take action against violations of the convention," she said last night." Once a species is listed in Cites [the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species] Appendices, Hong Kong will follow the decision and put the species under the control of local legislation."

Three shark species are on the Cites list - the great white shark, basking shark and whale shark - and trading in them requires a licence in Hong Kong.

"We need to maintain a good relationship with the shark fin industry," she said. "It's important for them to know about the licences."

In Hong Kong, 18 per cent of shark fins consumed by weight are from blue shark, a near-threatened species. Other species consumed include the great hammerhead and scalloped hammerhead, both endangered.

The spokeswoman said the department would focus on public education. "When the public are more aware of sustainable development, the demand for shark fins will decrease."

Environmentalists are concerned about the impact on shark populations of growing demand for shark fins, particularly for shark's fin soup in Asia. Some 30 per cent of the world's shark species are now threatened or near-threatened with extinction, according to the Pew Environmental Group.

The United States Senate passed a shark conservation bill on Monday to close a loophole in the Shark Finning Prohibition Act.

The new act specifies that fishermen must land sharks with fins naturally attached, preventing them from cutting the fins off and throwing the bodies overboard.

The shark fin message is not getting through
10 December 2010
South China Morning Post

These days it is seen to be politically incorrect to eat shark's fin soup, but one of Hong Kong's best-known Cantonese cuisine specialists offers the delicacy, proudly proclaiming the fact in its name - Sun Tun Lok Shark's Fin Restaurant. As if that was not enough of a slap in the face of efforts to end consumption of the animal, the world's most influential food guide, Michelin, has honoured the eatery by giving it its highest accolade, three stars. The rating is about culinary skills, but in this case it has also ignored the long-running, high-profile, global campaign to end the cruel treatment of the endangered creatures. It is sad to see that that message still has not sunk in at the top echelons of the industry.

Only those with their eyes and ears closed could have missed it. Shark's fin has been banned by Hong Kong Disneyland and the University of Hong Kong, while 52 restaurants and hotels have promised to provide at least one banquet menu without it. Surveys consistently show that a majority of people are willing to break with tradition and would opt for alternatives, if offered.

They have good reason to feel this way. Many species of shark, as with all large fish, are endangered by overfishing. The finning industry is worth an estimated US$1.2 billion annually and it is rapidly expanding as China becomes more prosperous and appetite for the dish increases. Demand and the difficulty of managing and monitoring fishing are driving some species to extinction.

Sustainability aside, it is the cruelty that provokes most anger. In some cases the fins are hacked from live sharks and the bodies tossed overboard. It is not known how widespread the practice is, but there is ample evidence at ports, on seabeds and in the videos of shark protection groups.

US shark fin restrictions carry little weight in Hong Kong
26 December 2010
Agence France Presse

The US Senate's move to toughen laws on shark finning is unlikely to have much impact in Hong Kong, dubbed the "Grand Central Station" of the controversial trade, environmentalists say.

The new legislation passed last week is aimed at protecting the ancient fish which experts fear is on the brink of extinction due to growing demand in Chinese restaurants, which use the fins in a hugely popular soup.

Few places prize the gelatinous delicacy more than Hong Kong, where it is a staple at high-end restaurants and wedding banquets, a mark of affluence in a city that accounts for as much as 80 percent of the world trade in fins.

Hong Kong was the largest importer of shark fin globally in 2007, buying about 277 million US dollars worth of fins, or 10,209 tonnes, according to United Nations figures.

One kilogram (2.2 pounds) from certain species can sell for 120 US dollars or more in Hong Kong.

The appetite for shark fin seems unlikely to wane, despite growing criticism online and among some couples who refuse to serve the soup at their weddings.

Hong Kong-born action star Jackie Chan, NBA superstar Yao Ming and Taiwanese movie director Ang Lee have also campaigned for shark conservation.

But demand remains strong and tens of millions of sharks are killed each year, often by fishermen who slice off their fins before throwing them back in the water to die.

The US banned finning 10 years ago, but the new law closes a loophole that allowed it in the Pacific as long as sharks were not finned onboard a vessel and led to a booming clandestine industry.

The bill does not ban the sale of shark fin, which is readily available in many upscale Chinese restaurants in the US.

Silvy Pun, a spokeswoman for the conservation group WWF Hong Kong, told AFP the US move would have little impact on the trade in the southern Chinese city.

"More than 80 countries actively contribute to Hong Kong's shark fin imports and the US is only one of them," she said.

"A lot more could be done, especially in terms of banning shark-slaughtering or at least imposing a legal limit on how many sharks can be killed each year," she added.

Hong Kong's government said it abides by restrictions on the trade under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

But even the Hong Kong fisheries and conservation department serves shark's fin soup at official events and has no plans to change the policy, a spokeswoman told AFP.

Pun described Hong Kong's position as "disappointing" and said she wanted other countries to follow the US example.

Shark's fin shops are common in Hong Kong and dealers reacted angrily to the tougher US laws, accusing campaigners of attacking Chinese culinary culture.

"It's because green groups always go around telling people not to eat shark fin... They are brainwashing the public," said Mak Ching-po, chairman of the Hong Kong Dried Seafood and Grocery Merchants' Association.

"Why don't they go after the foods of other cultures like caviar or foie gras? They simply want us and the whole industry to die. It is turning Chinese culture upside down."

The issue made headlines again earlier this month when culinary bible Michelin Guide awarded its highest three-star rating to Sun Tung Lok, a Hong Kong restaurant which -- like many in the city -- serves shark's fin soup.

A restaurant spokesman said they respected the US decision but defended selling the soup.

"We are just doing our own thing -- serving food to our customers. It's important to remember that out of more than 100 dishes that we serve, only four to five dishes are shark fin. There's no need to magnify the issue," he said.

More than 50 local restaurants have signed on to a WWF campaign urging shark-fin free menus.

The WWF's Pun said she believed attitudes were turning against eating shark's fin, but urged the authorities to do more.

"The government should be taking a lead role in this. There's only so much civil groups can do -- we need legislation," she said.

Meanwhile, across the Pacific ...

Shark-fin ban debated at city committee
CBC News
Posted: Sep 9, 2011 6:44 PM ET

A Toronto city committee considering a bylaw banning shark fin got an earful on Friday from both supporters and opponents of the proposal.

The licensing and standards committee was packed Friday as dozens of groups, many from Toronto's Chinese community, weighed in on the proposed ban.

Shark finning involves severing the sharks' fins and throwing their still-living bodies back into the water. Groups like Oceana and WildAid say up to 73-million sharks a year are killed, primarily for their fins.

Shark fin soup, however, is a fixture at Chinese wedding banquets and other significant cultural events. Even small grocery stores in Chinatown sell canned shark fin soup.

Restaurateur David Tsang told the committee the banning of shark fin is the equivalent of banning part of Chinese culture.

Many in Toronto's Chinese community said a municipal ban will hurt Toronto businesses while still doing little to curtail consumption of shark fin.

"People may go across the street to the City of Markham to have a banquet so they are not losing one dish...they are losing 50 tables at a banquet," said Barbara Chiu with the Toronto Chinese Business Association.

The City of Brantford became the first city in Ontario to ban shark fin. Mississauga looked at a similar ban but decided it didn't have the authority to enforce such a ban.

Toronto documentary maker Rob Stewart's graphic film Sharkwater showed the manner in which shark fins were harvested. He said Toronto needs to take the lead to protect the animals.

Seven-year-old Kassidy Eagleson was also there to support the ban. She arrived at the committee with her mother Suzanne and a petition with the signatures of 700 students at her school asking for the ban.

In the end the committee referred the issue to the executive director of municipal licensing and standards, who will write up a proposed bylaw and report back to the committee. Councillors would then review the bylaw, likely in November.

"People may go across the street to the City of Markham to have a banquet so they are not losing one dish...they are losing 50 tables at a banquet," said Barbara Chiu with the Toronto Chinese Business Association.

Not to mention Toronto is surrounded by other Cities/Towns with large Chinese population. That ban is effective....

I just read somewhere California is banning it completely?? Maybe that needs to be done in Ontario scale.

Interesting to see the growing anti-shark fin movement in HK. I blogged about this recently

http://british-chinese.blogspot.com/2011/02/is-gordon-ramsey-hypocrite-to-criticize.html

And it's not just in Hong Kong though. I just saw that documentary of Chef Gordon Ramsay when he visited Taiwan to investigate this shark fin stuff.

Anyways
Personally I am not leaning on either side (i.e. for or against eating shark fins soup).

I'll just let supply and demand take its course. :)

They're trying to ban it in California, both sale, possession and consumption, which I find to be racially charged.

I rarely eat shark's fin, and dont care for it too much, but I'm absolutely against it being banned. If the Japanese want to eat whales, and Korean want to eat dogs, let them be. It's a personal choice, not one where state and government should be involved.

They can limit it and tax it, restrict it to taking the whole shark, whatever, but banning it outright is both hypocritical, and in the scope of things, how much does shark finning actually affect ecology? I feel like it is singled out and targeted amongst many other equivalent and even worse things.

Please keep your inferiority complex to yourself:

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=hp&q=foie+gras+ban&pbx=1&oq=foie+gras+ban&aq=f&aqi=g4&aql=1&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=2188l2635l3l2905l4l4l0l0l0l0l243l860l0.1.3l4l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=6291b3e8fb060f79&biw=848&bih=709

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

They can limit it and tax it, restrict it to taking the whole shark, whatever, but banning it outright is both hypocritical, and in the scope of things, how much does shark finning actually affect ecology? I feel like it is singled out and targeted amongst many other equivalent and even worse things.

and this is what I believe should be done, if they have to take the whole shark to shore, the cost of fin will increase, tax it, and cost will increase, then you can let supply and demand take over.

I love shark fin, I never order it because I don't think is value for money compare to all the other good food in the restaurants.

US shark fin restrictions carry little weight in Hong Kong
26 December 2010
Agence France Presse



Pun described Hong Kong's position as "disappointing" and said she wanted other countries to follow the US example.



Hong Kong is not US, It is dam easy to ban something the country has little interest in. Try to ban McDonald, Hot Dog or meat pie.

Please keep your inferiority complex to yourself:

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=hp&q=foie+gras+ban&pbx=1&oq=foie+gras+ban&aq=f&aqi=g4&aql=1&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=2188l2635l3l2905l4l4l0l0l0l0l243l860l0.1.3l4l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=6291b3e8fb060f79&biw=848&bih=709

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

What's your point? I mentioned whaling in my post, among other things. Force feeding geese is considered cruel, indeed (though I still think the French have a right to eat it if they so choose), and hence my suggestion that shark-finners take the whole shark. As mrfusion pointed out, this would in all likelihood increase the price to a prohibitive one. As well quotas can be put in place, or with respect to specific species of sharks, if sustainability is concerned.

Beluga caviar, for example, is banned by several countries, but only restricted to those harvested from questionable sources. So why an outright, blanketing ban for sharks' fin?

Wow. Shark fin is now banned from being served in Toronto. City council just erupted in applause. I doubt the input of the Greater Toronto Area's 480,000 Chinese were consulted at all.

At least we will still be able to eat it in Markham/Richmond Hill. That's where the best restaurants are anyways.

Toronto votes to ban use of shark fin
patrick white
Globe and Mail Update
Published Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011 5:38PM EDT
Last updated Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011 5:42PM EDT

The city will yank shark fin soup from Toronto menus by next year after City Council voted 38-4 to outlaw the traditional Chinese delicacy.

Toronto, Canada’s biggest market for shark fin, will join the Ontario cities of Brantford, Mississauga and Oakville as well as the U.S. states of California, Oregon and Hawaii in taking a stand against finning, the slaughter of sharks worldwide solely for their fins.

The vote ended a months-long debate at City Hall that pitted many in the Chinese restaurant community against city councillors and animal rights’ activists – often to theatrical effect.

Since June, children in shark costumes, activists with plush shark toys, a hovering inflated shark and even “Survivorman” Les Stroud have frequented City Hall to encourage politicians to impose the ban.

“I was crying as the vote went down,” said Jay Beckett, who sat out the council debate wearing a full-body shark costume. “This whole day couldn’t have turned out better.”

Proponents of the ban argued that the practice of finning kills 100 million sharks annually. One pound of dried shark fin fetches up to $300.

The bylaw would charge fines of up to $100,000 for the use of shark fin.

Phil Gillies, a consultant for WildAid, one of the catalysts of the ban in Canada, said that several other municipalities will likely follow Toronto’s lead. He said his group would turn its focus to Queen’s Park and Ottawa.

“It’s a big, big step Toronto has taken here,” he said. “The federal and provincial governments will be forced to look at this now.”


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/toronto-votes-to-ban-use-of-shark-fin/article2213470/

Toronto shark fin ban draws mounting opposition ahead of vote
elizabeth church
Toronto— Globe and Mail Update
Published Monday, Oct. 24, 2011 1:09PM EDT
Last updated Monday, Oct. 24, 2011 11:45PM EDT

Opposition is mounting to a proposed ban on the sale and possession of shark fins, with Mayor Rob Ford saying he will not support the move when it comes before city council Tuesday.

The Mayor said he does not believe the city should become involved in such a ban and questioned why the issue is being raised at the local level at this time.

“I am not going to support a ban on shark fins,” Mayor Ford told reporters Monday, adding that he didn't think it was part of the city's purview.

Two of the mayor’s closest allies on council – deputy mayor Doug Holyday and the mayor’s brother, Doug Ford – also say they cannot support the ban, which gained unanimous approval earlier this month at a committee meeting. At the time, the ban gained the backing of committee members who are part of the mayor’s inner circle and it looked as if the proposal would sail through council.

That’s no longer the case in the face of mounting opposition from members of the Chinese community who staged a protest outside city hall on Monday.

“I won’t be voting for it,” Councillor Doug Ford told reporters. “I’m a big supporter of the Chinese community, if that’s part of their culture then we shouldn’t interfere in that.”

Councillor Ford later went out to show his support to the protestors in Nathan Philips Square, who cheered when he voiced his support for their cause.

Councillor Holyday said he is concerned the city could end up in court if it goes through with the ban, leaving taxpayers with a big legal bill to pay. “I don’t know why we have to be doing this fight for North America.”

Councillor Holyday said the issue is better dealt with by the province.

Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker, who introduced the motion, said taking one dish off the menu of Toronto restaurants is not going to hurt business, noting that several nearby municipalities have either moved to ban shark fins or are considering it.

“It is like the no-smoking bylaw,” he said. “The reality is we are going to ban it and all of those restaurants who have concerns today will all be here in a year from now.”

About 200 people demonstrated outside Toronto city hall today against a proposal to ban the sale of shark fins in the city.

Many wore signs that say a ban would be “an unfair and irresponsible act.”

Council is expected to vote on the proposal today or Tuesday while Oakville, Brantford and Mississauga have already banned the delicacy which is used in soup.

One man called for councillors to do their research before making a decision.

He says people who legally fish for shark don’t cut off the fin and throw the rest of the shark back, they sell it to fish mongers who sell the whole fish.

But Rob Sinclair of WildAid, which supports a ban, notes shark fin is the largest illegal trade concerning wildlife by far.

With a file from Canadian Press


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/toronto-shark-fin-ban-draws-mounting-opposition-ahead-of-vote/article2211649/

Can't believe he said it's like the "no-smoking bylaw".... :nono:

They're trying to ban it in California, both sale, possession and consumption, which I find to be racially charged.

I rarely eat shark's fin, and dont care for it too much, but I'm absolutely against it being banned. If the Japanese want to eat whales, and Korean want to eat dogs, let them be. It's a personal choice, not one where state and government should be involved.

They can limit it and tax it, restrict it to taking the whole shark, whatever, but banning it outright is both hypocritical, and in the scope of things, how much does shark finning actually affect ecology? I feel like it is singled out and targeted amongst many other equivalent and even worse things.

Hypocritical? Unlike dogs, sharks and whales are endangered. In fact, dogs as we know them today were raised by humans and didn't exist in nature.

Wow. Shark fin is now banned from being served in Toronto. City council just erupted in applause. I doubt the input of the Greater Toronto Area's 480,000 Chinese were consulted at all.

At least we will still be able to eat it in Markham/Richmond Hill. That's where the best restaurants are anyways.



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/toronto-votes-to-ban-use-of-shark-fin/article2213470/



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/toronto-shark-fin-ban-draws-mounting-opposition-ahead-of-vote/article2211649/

Can't believe he said it's like the "no-smoking bylaw".... :nono:
I recall eating shark steak in Toronto before. Believe it was the at Commerce Court Marche. Wonder if they'll ban that as well or just the fins?

Hypocritical? Unlike dogs, sharks and whales are endangered. In fact, dogs as we know them today were raised by humans and didn't exist in nature.

The way the dog is killed before consumption is probably not very nice as well.

Same as cattle, pigs and chicken. There's no "nice" killing. However, eating whale meat, rhinos horn or shark fins is criticised because the animals involved are on the verge of extinction.

Plaudits for Pen over shark fin move
The Standard
Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Conservationists yesterday lauded one of Asia's top hotel chains for taking shark fin off the menu in recognition of the dish's impact on endangered species.

Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, the parent company of the Peninsula chain, said it will stop selling shark fin from January 1 in all of its operations in Hong Kong and Beijing.

It said the move is in recognition of the threat facing the global shark population and is in line with its sustainability vision.

Silvy Pun Yuen-yiu, marketing officer from WWF Hong Kong, said the move sets a good example for other hotels to follow.

"This is a huge commercial decision. It implies the company is confident that there is a certain number of customers who are already fine without the dish," said Pun, adding that from 2000 to 2009, about 9,000 to 10,000 tonnes of shark fin were imported to Hong Kong each year.

A spokesman for another hotel, Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel and Towers - which took shark fin off its menu last year - said the Peninsula's move provides the catering industry with a good opportunity to consider reducing shark fin supply.

But JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong said it still has no plan to remove the dish from its menus.

Marine Products Association general secretary Lim Tin-que said he is disappointed at the Peninsula's decision.The shark fin trade has already seen turnover for the year down by around 20 percent because of the economic downturn, he said.

5gMVzhVDvUY
Cultural? What is 'cool' or 'lavish' about eating the fin of mechanically harvested fish caught in trawler nets?

Perhaps if it was 'rod caught' from sustainable stocks there could be some kudos in eating a 'speacial' dish.

Not stating a position for or against the eating of sharks fin just seeking clarity of what is the modern day cultural appeal (apart from taste) of eating a dish that once required great strength, tenacity and skill to catch but now just requires a diesel engined boat and a trawler net?

Hypocritical? Unlike dogs, sharks and whales are endangered. In fact, dogs as we know them today were raised by humans and didn't exist in nature.

1) In terms of endangerment of species, I believe in evolution, and if a species is too weak to survive then it dies. Humans just have some arrogant notion that they have the ability to control nature. Plenty of species have risen and fallen through other species gaining dominance over them. Again hypocritical with respect to which species we choose to protect and which not to.

If that were a reason, we should have a blanket, equal rule on all species that may be threatened, without focus and discrimination on particular species.

As well a controlled, quota-based methodology is sufficient to ensure the survival of a species, rather than an outright ban.

2) In terms of cruelty, enforce the taking of the entire shark, do not allow them to be de-finned until they are on-shore, among other solutions.

Again, like everything else, I dont agree with killing sharks just for their fins, as I find it quite wasteful, but if this (western) world is about freedoms, then everything should be fair game, selective banning of certain things, food or otherwise, often carries political, public manipulation and propaganda undertones.

Same as cattle, pigs and chicken. There's no "nice" killing. However, eating whale meat, rhinos horn or shark fins is criticised because the animals involved are on the verge of extinction.

In the same way that dog-eating is criticized because they're supposed to be cute cuddly pets and dont need to be eaten. What's your point?

If a species goes extinct, it goes extinct. In fact, wouldn't that be the most effective deterrent? If it goes extinct, no one would be able to eat shark fins anymore.

Cultural? What is 'cool' or 'lavish' about eating the fin of mechanically harvested fish caught in trawler nets?

Perhaps if it was 'rod caught' from sustainable stocks there could be some kudos in eating a 'speacial' dish.

Not stating a position for or against the eating of sharks fin just seeking clarity of what is the modern day cultural appeal (apart from taste) of eating a dish that once required great strength, tenacity and skill to catch but now just requires a diesel engined boat and a trawler net?

I'm not sure shark fin's appeal is in how it was caught. Honestly, (and I think I've mentioned this before) I'm not sure why people like it so much either. It's not something I'd go out of my way to get. But I don't believe in limiting other people's freedoms, telling them what they should and shouldn't do.

Meanwhile, in Taiwan ...
Hotels refuse to drop shark fin soup
FIN DE SIECLE?：Major hotels said they have no plans to follow Peninsula Hotels in dropping the item, despite the objections of environmentalists and young people
Taipei Times Staff Writer, with CNA
Sun, Nov 27, 2011

Local luxury hotels said they did not intend to follow in the footsteps of the Peninsula Hotels group, a prestigious Hong Kong hotel chain that recently announced it would stop serving shark fin.

Major five-star hotels in Taiwan, including the Regent Taipei and L’Hotel de Chine Group, said that although they recognized global efforts to protect the threatened predators, there were no plans to change the way they do business in the near future.

Under huge pressure from environmental groups to stop shark finning — cutting the fins off sharks and throwing the animals back into the sea to die — Peninsula -Hotels said on Monday that it would take shark fin off its menus starting in January.

However, because shark fin soup is considered a delicacy, luxury hotels in Taiwan have no plans to drop the dish from their menus.

“Our job is to meet the requirements of our clients,” a Regent Taipei public relations officer said.

Taiwan is one of the world’s top producers and consumers of shark fin.

Taiwanese hotels’ decision not to drop shark fin comes despite increasing consumer demand, especially from young couples, that the hotels use aqua-cultured abalone or tilapia instead of shark fin in wedding banquets.

A local animal welfare group said that although most of the hotels do not actively encourage customers to order shark fin, they should take more responsibility for changing consumer habits by following the Peninsula Hotels group’s lead.

“If a Hong Kong mega-business can make such a commitment, I don’t see why we can’t,” Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan director Chen Yu-min (陳玉敏) said.

A survey conducted by the society earlier this year found that 71 out of 76 major hotels in Taiwan offer shark fin soup, which is popular in other parts of East Asia.

Taiwanese have consumed about 3,000 tonnes of shark fin in the past five years, Chen said.

Chef Shih Chien-fa (施建發), also known as Maestro A-fa (阿發師), said he fully supported Chen’s -appeal and did not serve shark fin in his restaurants.

“It is the cooking skills of the chefs, not the shark’s fin, that makes the dish delicious,” he said.

In response to mounting public calls to ban shark fin, the Fisheries Agency has promised to implement a new regulation to force fishermen to keep shark catches intact when they arrive at port — making Taiwan the first country in Asia to do so.

The agency said the regulation can prevent fishermen from finning to make space to store more fins.

“It will require a lot of manpower for law enforcement,” Fisheries Agency Deputy -Director-General Tsay Tzu-yaw (蔡日耀) said. “As a result, we have started educating local fishermen to reduce the chances of violation in the first place.”

Published on Taipei Times :
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2011/11/27/2003519318

In Toronto...

Shark fin ban sparks threatening ‘hate crime’ letter, say residents
Published On Fri Dec 02 2011

Toronto police are treating a letter threatening to poison food in Chinatown’s stores and restaurants as a hate crime. The Chinese community blames the threat on fallout from the recent shark fin ban.

Toronto police are treating a letter threatening to poison food in Chinatown’s stores and restaurants as a hate crime. The Chinese community blames the threat on fallout from the recent shark fin ban.

Toronto police are treating a letter threatening to poison food in Chinatown’s stores and restaurants as a hate crime. The Chinese community blames the threat on fallout from the recent shark fin ban.

The threatening letter — sent to the Toronto Chinese Business Association (TCBA) — is just one of a string of similar threats in the past few months, according to community leader Kai Tao.

He said the TCBA executive director Barbara Chiu has received most of these threats as emails and letters.

The Toronto Police Hate Crime Unit stepped in to investigate the letter because of its threatening content, said Const. Tony Vella.

“The content of the letter is quite concerning,” he said. “We’re classifying it as a hate crime.”

According to Tao, the letter has had a significant impact on the community.

“I don’t want to see this happen in Toronto,” he said. “We are law-abiding citizens and this is an emotionally-charged discussion.”

Tao argues the shark fin ban is ridiculous and, as a result, the threatening letters are making it worse for the community.

“I think city councillors should think of the consequences of their behaviour,” he said.

In the meantime, an investigation is ongoing and the person who wrote the letter has yet to be identified.

“We are still trying to find out what the motivation is by sending this letter,” said Vella.
.....


http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1096426--shark-fin-ban-sparks-threatening-hate-crime-letter-say-residents?bn=1

Mississauga backtracks on shark fin ban
Published On Wed Dec 14 2011
Toronto Star

The movement to have cities ban shark fin products experienced a setback Wednesday as Mississauga councillors repealed the ban they passed in October.

It’s unclear if the ban on the sale or consumption of shark fin is simply being postponed, or will have to be passed all over again. The bylaw passed Wednesday stated the ban “is no longer in force and effect until June 30, 2012, to allow time to meet” with representatives of the federal government.

Councillor Pat Mullin, the driving force on council for the ban, said she isn’t sure if the ban will now automatically go into effect in June or would have to be reintroduced for another vote.

In any case, the Mississauga Chinese Business Association, which held a protest after the ban was imposed, saw Wednesday’s move as a capitulation.

“They listened to us,” said the group’s president Stephen Chu, who sat on a municipal steering committee struck after the original bylaw was passed. He believes Wednesday’s move is a victory and not a simple postponement.

“We don’t want it to be an emotional decision. We will continue to tell council that this type of bylaw cannot be enforced because they have no authority, basically. It’s not fair to ban all products if most are imported legally.”

Chu says that since the federal government has not banned them, “we assume that the shark fin products are being imported legally.”

Chu suggested that other municipalities that have imposed similar bans should follow Mississauga’s move to repeal.

He warned that a legal challenge is likely if Mississauga tries to revisit the ban — and suggests Toronto could expect the same in response to its recently passed ban.

Mullin insisted the repeal was simply to allow the federal government time to weigh in on an issue that has been taken up by numerous cities. She insisted the ban should go into effect again June 30, after city and federal officials meet.

“I wanted to give it time till June,” she said, adding that the transition period would allow business owners to prepare for the ban, which was not yet being enforced. “I fully intend to go forward in June. It gives us time to do our homework.”

As to why council didn’t move more slowly in the first place, Mullin said: “I think it was important to take a position.”

Mississauga’s decision helped get other municipalities on board, she added. “I don’t think we jumped the gun at all.”

She also said the city will now have time to consider how it would enforce the ban and pay for it.

It’s not clear why the city didn’t just phase in enforcement, giving restaurants and other businesses time to use up existing inventory, as Toronto is doing.

“I didn’t hear anyone say it shouldn’t be done,” Mullin said of the ban, acknowledging that some people do have an issue with whether it’s in the city’s jurisdiction to impose and enforce a ban.

Back in October, a group of lawyers, including municipal law expert George Rust-D’Eye, who has served as Mississauga’s integrity commissioner, issued a statement saying that in their opinion, municipalities do have such authority.

“They have left a door open,” Chu said, referring to the June 30 date. “If they’re out of their authority, they may face some legal challenge.”

China clamps down on shark fin
The Standard
Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Shark fin is going off menus at official banquets in the mainland by order of national leaders.

While the move will make the stomachs of some tradition-bound officials rumble, activists in Hong Kong applauded a decision that could save many types of shark from extinction.

The news came from the Government Officers Administration of the State Council, though officials admitted the ban could need three years to take hold.

But as CNN noted on responses to the action, it will "help cut the cost of sometimes lavish banquets."

As activists here also worry that it could take quite a while for the ban to take effect across the mainland, they are calling on Chief Executive Leung Chun- ying to take a firm cue from Beijing and step up efforts to halt the SAR's still- flourishing trade in shark fin as well as its consumption.

In fact, efforts are already under way.

Hong Kong Shark Foundation program director Bertha Lo Ka-yan said the word is that shark fin soup is no longer served at SAR functions. If this was announced publicly, she said, it would set a good example.

"The CE's Office contacted us and said Leung was also concerned about the issue of environmental protection," Lo said.

In the longer term, she added, the hope is for legislation to ban the sale and possession of shark fins in Hong Kong.

Officials in Hong Kong's Environmental Protection Department, meanwhile, said menus for official functions do not usually include shark fin - though they did not make it clear that this was solely meant to save the big fish. Shark fin was off the menu to avoid giving impressions of extravagance with public money, they said.

Up to 73 million sharks are killed each year, according to a 2006 estimate quoted by the Hong Kong Shark Foundation. And the World Wildlife Fund has said that 181 species of shark are under threat compared to 15 species in 1996,.

Shockingly, many sharks that are caught have their fins hacked off and then dead or dying creatures are thrown back into the sea.

The WWF's Hong Kong director, Andy Cornish, believes the Hong Kong government can do more to restrict shark fin sales in the SAR than just following China's plan.

It was "avoiding the topic" of trade in shark fin, he said.

Still, Cornish also said the ban in the mainland shows China is showing global leadership on the issue, reckoning that the leadership would do a "pretty decent job" within the three years.

With shark fin soup a traditional and top-line dish served in Chinese cuisine, the total consumption for the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan is 95 percent of the world's dried shark fins. And in 2009 Hong Kong people consumed more than 9,300 tonnes of fins.

Hong Kong is one of the world's largest trading centers for shark fin. From 70 to 80 percent of dried shark fin arriving here is sent on to the mainland and other places.

Besides moves to take shark fin off menus at government functions, hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong have acted too. More than 97 have joined the WWF's "Alternative Shark-free Menu Program" since 2010.

And Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels has this year stopped serving shark fin at all its properties.