It was a decision
that Walt Disney would have made without hesitation when he was alive. But the
Disney Corporation has finally made the right decision by agreeing to ban shark
fin soup from the Disneyland Hotel in Hong Kong scheduled to open on September
12th, 2005.
A week after the story appeared internationally, Disney reversed its decision
to serve shark fin soup. They had agreed a week ago to serve only sharks caught
from sustainable fisheries but their own research confirmed what the Organization
Sea Shepherd had
already told them - there is no sustainable shark fishery.
This is a great victory for the sharks because it sends a message loud and clear
that shark finning is a destructive practice that is contributing to the demise
of shark populations worldwide.
Nevertheless there are still millions of sharks being killed each year for their
fins or for other purposes. Visit our Shark Page
to get more information about that and what you can do!!
Boycott
of Disney Hong Kong because of Shark Fin Soup
Activists in
Hong Kong are threatening to boycott entertainment giant Disney after it announced
plans to serve shark's fin soup at a new theme park. Hong Kong Disneyland, which
opens in September, will serve the soup at wedding banquets and special events.
But campaigners say millions of sharks are killed each year for their fins, driving
some species close to extinction. Disney says it is simply being respectful to
local culture. It is traditional in Chinese society to offer the clear, glutinous
broth on important occasions.
The fins are highly prized. The fishermen catch the sharks and slice off the fins,
unmindful whether the shark is alive or not. The bodies, most of them still alive,
are tossed back into the sea to bleed to death or to be attacked by other sharks
or fish. The fin itself is almost tasteless, but in southern China it is regarded
as a luxury. Surveys in Hong Kong suggest four out of 10 people eat it regularly
and two-thirds think it is justified to kill sharks for their fins.
Environmental
groups such as Greenpeace and the Worldwide Fund for Nature warn the shark is
one of the most over-exploited species on earth. Every year humans slaughter over
100 million sharks. Over 8,000 tons of shark fins are processed each year. The
fins only amount to 4% of a shark's bodyweight. This means that some 200,000 tons
of sharks are thrown back into the sea and discarded. Already 18 species of sharks
have been listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation
of Nature (IUCN).
They are urging Disney to take the soup off its menu and to do more to help to
educate the public about the issue. Disney has rejected the complaints, claiming
the dish is an integral part of any Chinese banquet. The company says it takes
environmental stewardship very seriously.
The activists, though, are threatening to mount a global boycott of the brand
if Disney insists on serving shark's fin soup.
During that time we were finning Mickey as well
(cursor on image)
Visit our Shark Page
for more information about sharks
