Thursday 29 August 2013

Shark fin soup

I was very happy to see a new Chinese restaurant open in our neighbourhood.

However I was less than happy when I looked at their menu and saw that they are selling shark fin soup.

Shark finning is a cruel practice. Sharks have their fins removed and are then tossed back into the ocean where they die a slow and painful death.

A shocking ten million sharks a year are killed to satisfy global demand for shark fins. Twenty species of sharks are listed as endangered by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). In a few years many species of shark could become extinct if shark finning is not stopped.

India recently banned the practice of shark finning and China last year announced it would no longer serve shark fin dishes at official banquets. I've respectfully written to our new local Chinese restaurant and asked them to take shark fin soup off the menu. Crafty Green Boyfriend and I will not eat at this restaurant until they take shark fin soup off the menu.

You can find out more about the issues on these pages:

 Shark Trust.

Stop Shark Finning


12 comments:

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Yes it is a VERY cruel practice indeed. I would boycott that restaurant.

Little Miss Titch said...

that's disgusting I didn't think that they would even be allowed to serve that in the UK?

Ms Sparrow said...

Speedyrabbit is right! It should be illegal to serve that anywhere in the country. Isn't the Humane Society or some other rights group working on preventing it?

The Weaver of Grass said...

I am pleased to hear that you have made a stand about this Juliet - hopefully they might not realise how many people object and your letter might just do the trick.

The Weaver of Grass said...

I am pleased to hear that you have made a stand about this Juliet - hopefully they might not realise how many people object and your letter might just do the trick.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Speedy - i had previously thought it was illegal in the Uk

Weaver - well I'm hoping that a few other people in the area might also email.

Ms Sparrow, there are a few campaigns on the issue and there have been successes, notably India banning shark finning

sage said...

Good for you! I have had shark fin soup, in a Chinese restaurant in Yokohama Japan in 1979, before I knew how they harvested the fins. It was okay, but certainly not worth killing all the sharks for (at the time I assumed they ate the rest of the shark).

Crafty Green Poet said...

Hi sage, yes I used to assume they ate the whole shark too.

dosankodebbie said...

A lot of restaurants serve fake shark fin (passing it off as real shark fin) because of the cost and/or shortage of the real stuff. If most people can't tell the difference between real shark fin and some gelatinous substitute, it seems like the fake shark fin could officially replace real shark fin, rather than doing it in secret to cheat the customer.

RG said...

Good for you!

Anonymous said...

Good on you cgp :) Action at all levels is what is needed - even the smallest of actions like writing to the restaurant. An outrageous and wasteful practice and so cruel.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Debbie - fake shark fin soup would be a good idea, but the problem is that there would be confusion and the real (and cruel) dish could sneak in and the sharks still get killed.