Shark fin to be banned in Chinese gov't receptions

In a welcome move for shark and ocean protection advocates, China is soon going to remove shark fin from the menus of its official receptions.

 

China’s Government Offices Administration of the State Council (GOASC) will issue guidelines covering this move, a report on the Chinese government web portal said.

 

The report quoted a GOASC official as saying the guidelines are due in one to three years, and will order government agencies at all levels to stop serving the delicacy at official functions.  

It added the GOASC will work with financial departments to restrict expenses on luxury food at official receptions, and keep watch over banquets funded with public money.

 

Citing figures from wild animal conservation group WildAid, the government report said some 70 million sharks are slain every year for their fins. This has placed some 17 percent of known species of shark and manta on the verge of extinction. 

 

According to WWF's Shark Fin Initiative, over 180 shark species are threatened with extinction, listed either on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, or the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). 

 

"I suggest the central government bans the consumption of shark fin at banquets at all levels, as part of efforts to save the species from extinction," NPC deputy Guo Guangchang was quoted in a CNTV.cn report earlier this year.

 

China’s move drew praise from animal welfare organizations including Humane Society International (HSI), which said this policy marks a “watershed moment” for the global movement to protect sharks.

 

HSI added this pushes China onto the world’s stage as an “emerging leader in shark conservation.”

 

A staple at wedding banquets, shark fin soup is considered a delicacy and a symbol of social status, and is often served at exclusive restaurants in China. 

 

Shark fin products like soup and dumplings are served in restaurants in the Philippines, which are listed on the Facebook group Bite Back Against Shark Fin Soup. 

 

In November 2011, shark fin soup was taken off the menu at The Peninsula Hotels after parent company Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH) decided to stop serving shark fin at all its group operations. 

 

“By removing shark fin from our menus, we hope that our decision can contribute to preserving the marine ecosystem for the world’s future generations," said HSH Chief Executive Officer Clement K.M. Kwok in a statement.

 

In January 2012, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts committed to cease serving shark fin in all of its operated restaurants. "The new policy is a continuation of Shangri-La’s journey towards environmental support," the company said in a statement. 

 

Legislation

 

The Chinese government website report said Mainland China and Hong Kong have been among the biggest importers of shark fin for years, but no law has been passed to ban the practice.

 

In March 2011, Ding Liguo, deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the billionaire executive chairman of Delong Holdings Ltd., first proposed banning shark-fin trading through legislation to protect marine resources.

 

In the Philippines, former president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo proposed House Bill No. 174, which seeks to ban the catching, sale, purchase, possession, transportation and exportation of all sharks and rays in the country.   

Praise from welfare groups

 

HSI president and CEO Andrew Rowan said the Chinese government’s move “marks a watershed moment for the global movement to protect sharks and pushes China onto the world’s stage as an emerging leader in shark conservation.”

 

“As the world’s largest market for shark fins, China holds the key to the survival of many shark species,” he said.

 

The HSI noted fins from as many as 73 million sharks are used to feed the demand for shark fin soup each year, with China having the largest market for shark fins, a key ingredient in shark fin soup.

 

“Tens of millions of sharks have their fins cut off and are thrown back into the ocean, often while still alive, only to drown, starve or die a slow death due to predation from other animals. Some species of shark are on the brink of extinction due to the cruel and exploitative shark fin industry,” it said.

 

“Sharks are apex predators who are slow to reproduce and whose survival affects all other marine species and entire ocean ecosystems. The practice of shark finning is global and has led to a severe decline in shark populations,” it added.

 

"Few people know the importance of sharks in maintaining the ecological balance...nor do they realize the cruelty of the finning process," basketball star Yao Ming was quoted in a report on CNTV.cn. In September 2011, Yao and British entrepreneur Richard Branson launched a campaign against the shark fin trade. –Carmela G. Lapeña/KG, GMA News