Demand for dish remains high here despite growing global opposition, say businesses
Straits Times 26 Nov 11;
MOST Singaporeans are still saying yes to shark's fin soup, despite a growing movement worldwide to stop the hunting of sharks for their fins.
Businesses say the demand for shark's fin, usually cooked in a thick broth, remains high - especially for special occasions like wedding banquets.
On Monday, upmarket Hong Kong hotel chain Peninsula Hotel Group joined a growing movement to halt shark hunting by announcing that it will stop serving shark's fin from Jan 1.
A check with 10 hotels here, including the Marina Mandarin and The Fullerton Hotel, found that all serve shark's fin soup during banquets, but also provide other soups when requested.
The reason they gave was that drinking shark's fin soup is a tradition in Chinese culture.
A spokesman for the Amara Singapore said: 'Our hotel serves shark's fin as we cater to a large proportion of local guests as well as wedding couples who follow tradition. The demand for shark's fin is still very high as the population in Singapore is mainly Chinese.'
Only about one in 10 newlywed couples asked for alternatives to shark's fin soup, he said.
However, the hotels noted that compared with five years ago, more customers were saying no to shark's fin.
Restaurants also cited the continuing demand as the reason they continue to serve shark's fin.
'We are famous for our shark's fin,' said Mr Andrew Tjioe, chief executive of the Tung Lok Group of restaurants. 'We will lose business if we stop selling it. As long as it remains legal, we will continue to serve it.'
At least one hotel here, the Fairmont Singapore, has stopped serving shark's fin completely. It has also removed Chilean sea bass and bluefin tuna - which are also overfished - from its menu.
Since last year, the Singapore Marriott has reduced the number of shark's fin dishes it serves from 12 to seven. It has also stopped running promotions on those items.
Resorts World Sentosa has also taken shark's fin off its menu, but will still serve the dish if requested.
So far, these three hotels said, customers have responded positively to their moves.
Ms Jennifer Lee, founder of Project: Fin, which aims to reduce the consumption of shark's fin through the education of both consumers and businesses, said more Singaporeans now know about the plight of the sharks.
'Awareness has definitely grown, but it is slower than in places like Hong Kong and China,' added Ms Lee.
She noted that a survey published in April found that 80 per cent of respondents in Hong Kong no longer minded not having shark's fin soup at wedding banquets. In China, retired basketballer Yao Ming's support has given the movement a boost.
But in Singapore, imports of shark's fin have nearly doubled since 2003 to about 2,500 tonnes this year, up from 1,300 tonnes eight years ago.
Hong Kong imports about 9,000 tonnes of shark's fin every year.
Ms Candice Huang, who had a shark's fin-free wedding banquet in March last year, convinced her mother that her family would not appear 'cheap' if they did not serve the soup.
'She was worried that the elders would not like it, but after tasting the abalone broth, they were impressed,' said the 28-year-old marketing communications manager.
'And it was just as expensive as the shark's fin soup,' she added.
POSSIBLE SUBSTITUTES FOR SHARK'S FIN
Mock fins, such as those made from seaweed gelatin or jelly
Fish maw in broth
Double-boiled ginseng and herbs in chicken stock
Abalone broth
Buddha Jumps Over The Wall
Braised lobster soup
Double-boiled soup with black truffle
Removing shark's fin from the menu
Straits Times Forum 9 Dec 11;
I COMMEND The Straits Times for highlighting an issue that has become one of the most critical threats to the sustainability of our oceans' fishes ('Shark's fin still on menu for many'; Nov 26).
Through our awareness campaign, Save Our Sharks, more than 15,000 consumers have pledged not to consume shark's fin.
The demand for shark's fin in Asia is driving sharks to the brink of extinction. In 1996, only 15 species were considered threatened. By last year, the number had soared 12 times, with more than 180 species listed on the endangered list. The real cost goes beyond the survival of sharks. Sharks play a pivotal role in securing the marine eco-balance, tying our fate closely to theirs.
When sharks become extinct, this irreversible change will cause populations of other fishes to go unchecked, exhausting the supply at the start of the food chain. Soon, other fish stocks that are essential to our survival will be depleted.
Both the supply and demand ends of the chain are vital links in preventing the bankruptcy of our oceans. We applaud businesses like Cold Storage and the Peninsula Hotel Group, which have taken the lead to ban shark's fin.
The change in mindset remains the biggest challenge, especially among the Chinese who perceive shark's fin soup as deeply rooted in tradition.
Keeping this tradition has come at the expense of our planet. If we continue to ignore the signs, even the very tradition we are trying to upkeep will meet its end. Let us consider the long- and not short-term cost.
After all, is it worth giving up the ocean for a single fish?
Elaine Tan (Ms)
Chief Executive Officer
WWF Singapore
