New Straits Times AsiaOne 12 Dec 10;
MALAYSIA - MALAYSIAN Nature Society's "Fins - Best on Sharks" campaign made a "comeback" two weeks ago when Holiday Inn KL Glenmarie pledged its support for the cause. It was the first hotel to do so. It was surprising to many familiar with the campaign, launched since 2007 to encourage organisations and individuals to pledge not to serve or be served shark's fin soup at corporate functions, to see that it has garnered the support of only 30 organisations after more than three years.
The original target was to get at least 100 Malaysian-based companies to say that they would not stomach shark's fin soup on the menu.
Indeed, since Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid, then natural resources and environment minister, pledged that his ministry and all its departments would not serve shark's fin soup at their events, little has been heard about the campaign or the issue of shark conservation.
A quick check with several non-governmental organisations active in marine conservation here showed that MNS remains the only organisation with a specific programme that champions shark preservation in Malaysia.
But MNS's senior conservation officer, Fairul Izmal Jamal Hisne, and its communications manager, Andrew J. Sebastian, both admitted that the campaign had ground to a temporary halt until recently.
"It was mainly because of lack of manpower and resources," said Fairul.
Besides, there have been bigger fish to fry, so to speak.
Like the issue of the fast depleting fish stocks in our ocean Malaysians now top the list of the biggest consumers of seafood in Southeast Asia and in just 40 years, we run the risk of not having any seafood to eat if we continue to consume indiscriminately, said Fairul.
"But an NGO like us can only do so much."
Perhaps the fact that there is no actual finning industry in Malaysia -- the cruel practice of removing a live shark's fin and releasing the shark back into the sea to die a slow and painful death -- has also contributed in part to the issue being relegated to the back-burner.
Most of the sharks' fins Malaysians eat are imported. According to the Fisheries Department, our fishermen don't fish for sharks specifically, but they are caught together with other commercially important species.
When caught, they are brought back whole to the port and sold at a reasonable price, with the fins fetching a higher price.
Malaysia is also not a major consumer of the delicacy -- not when compared with the likes of Hong Kong and China.
When asked on the current shark preservation situation here, Sebastian made a telling remark when he said: "In Malaysia, although there are no statistics available on sharks caught, we understand from the Fisheries (Department) that the catch is increasing."
However, the Fisheries Department claimed to have no latest data on shark capture or sharks' fin consumption.
Senior fisheries officer Ahmad Saktian Langgang, responsible for the conservation and management of marine endangered species and the implementation of the National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks, said: "There is no allocation for sharks so we have not been able to conduct courses for our staff on sharks -- on how to identify and the types of sharks out there. But we do tell the fishermen not to catch particularly endangered species like yu parang (swordfish) and yu paus (whale shark)."
Despite the seemingly lack of concerted efforts, there has been a mushrooming of blogs, postings and pages on social network media like Facebook against the consumption of shark's fins.
This may explain why some restaurants serving it in town are reporting steadily declining demand for the dish in the past few years.
"But there are definitely people who still want to eat it so we continue serving, especially for wedding banquets and other special occasions," said Imbi Palace Group general manager Annie Chang.
The younger generation, she said, tend to say no to the dish for environmental reasons.
"But the older generation still insist on having it, so some couples, although reluctant, would eventually bow to pressure from their elders."
To Jenny Choo, 61, serving shark's fin soup to guests at banquets signifies wealth and success.
But Fairul said the argument makes no sense, not when there are more expensive seafood and dishes to choose from.
But regardless of the controversy around it, Chang said her restaurant would continue to serve the dish as long as there was demand.
"We also offer an alternative vegetarian 'shark fin' soup, but most people still want the real deal or none at all."
But chef Chew Chin Yee, who runs his own Chinese eatery in Kuchai Lama, claims that more and more customers are coming to accept the faux shark's fin soup option -- prepared either without the fin completely but with more crabmeat added into the stock, or with ones made from gelatine.
"People who like the real shark's fin soup just enjoy the taste of the stock it's cooked in. The shark's fin itself has no taste.
"The gelatine ones that we get these days are also well-made. Most people can't tell the difference really," said Chew.
Technology, Fairul said, had definitely been playing its role to abet the rise of a stronger green consciousness among the younger generation.
"Our generation was previously struggling with booklets and pamphlets. But today, they watch a video on YouTube and send it to hundreds of their friends with just a click," said Fairul.
They say a picture says a thousand words, what more a video.
Recently, a three-minute video of a mutilated whale shark lying helpless on a beach in the Philippines with its fins hacked off was shared on YouTube. It had been towed to shore by some fishermen to give it a quicker death.
The tragic death was recorded by a group of Hong Kong tourists and once posted online, triggered a popular Facebook campaign "Say No To Shark's Fin Soup" that gained tens of thousands of supporters.
The level of green awareness today is such that Fairul feels the time is right for any type of environmental campaign to succeed because people can now really see for themselves the impact of their actions, or non-actions, on their lives and surroundings. Hence, MNS will be repositioning its campaign next year.
"Our campaign was previously overly focused on organisations. We will look at reaching out to individuals more."
