Hi
I have a suggestion, I think all divers should make an effort to avoid staying at hotels that serve shark fin soup. I'm not sure whether Wetpixel members are aware of this, most 5-star luxury hotels in Asia Pacific region serve sharkfin soup in their hotel's Chinese restaurant. What I wish t to see is that the hotels would take the lead in NOT serving sharkfin soup in their hotels & inform the public of their action in order to show off their environmentally aware practice. Hopefully with this, the public will stop associating eating shark fins soup with prestige and luxury. Once people STOP thinking that eating shark fins soup is prestigious then the demand will stop. We must associate eating shark fin soup as environmentally irresponsible, ignorant, backward and uncivilized. The younger Chinese generation, whether they live in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia or Singapore, would loath to be labeled as backward, so I think we should start from that idea.
Below is a list of 10 top hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that serves sharkfin soup
Hotel Name, Restaurant Name, Menu1 Mandarin Oriental, Lai Poo Heen, Shark’s fin and Bird’s NestStewed superior shark's fin with crab claw in abalone broth. Braised superior shark's fin with bird’s nest broth
2 Shangri-La KL, Shang Palace, Braised Shark’s Fin Soup served with Bean Sprouts and Chinese Parsley
3 The Hilton KL, Chynna, Braised Egg Treasure with Scallop (thick soup). Double-Braised with Sundried Scallop (clear soup)
4 Hotel Equatorial, Golden Phoenix, Shark, duck and venison – they're part of an array of culinary creations at the Golden Phoenix
5 Nikko Hotel, Toh Lee, Sharks fin soup, many style
6 Renaissance Kuala Lumpur, Dynasty, Sharks fin soup, Cantonese cuisine
7 The Ritz Carlton, Li Yen, Sharks fin soup - double boiled, braised with crab meat, chicken etc
8 JW Marriott Hotel, Shanghai Restaurant, Sharks fin soup - double boiled, chicken & ham, braised
9 Prince Hotel, Tai Zee Hin, Pearl Sharkfin, Superior Sharkfin, Double-Boiled Sharkfin with Vegetables
10 Parkroyal Hotel, Si Chuan Dou Hua, Sharks fin soup
If you are planning to travel to KL, please enquire whether the hotel you will be staying in includes eating shark fin soup in their dining experience. If they do I urge you to divert your accommodation plans to hotels that doesn’t serve shark fin soup such as Le Meridien or The Westin, Kuala Lumpur.
I also hope Wetpixel members could make a list of top hotels in Singapore, Jakarta, Hanoi, Bangkok, Taiwan, Hong Kong and other Asian cities that serve shark fin soup. Shark killings can only be stopped from the demand side not on the supply side. This dawned on me on my diving trip to Mabul last Christmas break.
The diving was great but what I saw on the topside one afternoon made me realize that the way we try to stop shark killings is far from enough. Right in the middle of the Bajau fisherman village, in between the budget homestays that cater for divers, a group of fisherman was hauling in their shark catch. I counted more than 20 sharks of various species including Mako, Grey Reef and Silvertip, were being prepared for the export market, fins removed, their bodies cut into identical smaller chunks. (see attached pictures)
What struck me was that these people were not starving poor, they had basic homes on stilts, with 24 hours electricity from the generator, and fresh water pumped from the well on the island. So the idea of providing them with alternative and sustainable source of income like growing seaweed or rearing fish or pearl farming, as a way for them to stop catching sharks will not work. They choose to catch sharks because it makes them more money. If one night of fishing with long-lines and 5-inch fish hooks can earn them a few hundred dollars, why would they bother with other kind of work. Shark killing cannot be stopped from the supply side with quotas, enactment of laws or education of the fishermen. It must be stopped from the demand side. When demand falls, so will the price and the incentive for these fishermen to catch sharks will no longer be there.
