115 replies to this topic

[shawnh]

Just posted on the cartilidge product on Amazon. keep it rolling folks! Wags, love your style.

Hey folks,
Some good advice and i posted my shark finning flick on YouTube. Now, how do we get this to be featured so millions of people around the world see it? Any ideas welcome. Go to:

-shawn

[echeng]

Update from my end: I showed the Amazon links to Howard and Michele Hall last night, and they helped me get in contact with one of their TV friends, who seems to be interested in running a story on the air (somewhere in news land).

May try to get Alibaba mentioned in the coverage as well!

I also updated the front page article to mention all three products, and updated the code members can use to post on their own sites.

[frogmansub]

Have a look at the Roland Sharkfin Soup product page today !

Some 'customers' have added personal images here!

That beats a negative review !

JP

[echeng]

Personal images are great! The VitaminLife product has a finning image as its default image. Fantastic work, guys.

Also, look at the Dragonfly shark fin soup page and notice the related products on the bottom. Think Wetpixel users are going there?

[frogmansub]

Personal images are great! The VitaminLife product has a finning image as its default image. Fantastic work, guys.

Also, look at the Dragonfly shark fin soup page and notice the related products on the bottom. Think Wetpixel users are going there?

Oh you little terrorists

[3@5]

i just received the same stock answer from amazon customer service after i sent them an email...

Thank you for writing to Amazon.com with your comments.

We have great respect for your concerns. One of our goals as an
online retailer, however, is to offer our customers the ability to
purchase a wide variety of products on our site. It is unfortunate
but inevitable that some of our customers may find a few of these
items objectionable.
...snip...
blah blah blah

[WillyVolk]

I'm amazed that Amazon deleted all the negative comments for Roland. I wonder if Roland complained to them?

I also wonder how long Nula's finning image will remain live. How wonderfully subversive!

[Marjo]

This should make national and international news! The Disney shark fin soup debacle did, and that least they had the "excuse" that they were following local tradition. It appears incredably risky of Amazon to peddle this type of products and it just might have a real impact on their business if word gets out to the markets and investors. I urge everyone to write with this "story tip" to media. Contacts for media can for example be found at http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=111

What makes this all the worse is that Amazon either chose to sell these products OR chose not to stop their vendor from selling this type of product immidiately after being alerted about this being sold on Amazon. If thos product somehow ended up on Amazon without their knowledge, then the only defensible action would have been an immidiate severing of relationship with these particular vendors and a public apology to their investors and customers. What they should also have done by now is to donate any and all proceedings from the sales generated from products that have been peddled thru these 3rd party vendors to organizations that work for the conservation of marine life. They should also match these proceeds dollar for dollar in "reparations" to show their remorse. This is the MINIMUM they should do. I hope they will either do more or be heavily fined. SHAME ON AMAZON!

[docrobina]

The Roland product is still there along with the dozen or so pictures showing the finned sharks. I posted a comment, but we shall see if it makes it onto the web.

[funkyspelunker]

Thanks for the code eric, I've added a post to my blog as well as to my local dive club.

[anthp]

Hey folks,

I telephoned and spoke to the local marine campaigners from the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Australian Marine Conservation Society and the Humane Society International. All groups have pretty good media traction down here.

I sent through a follow-up email asking them to consider a media release on this issue.

Here is a copy of the email.

Thanks for offering to consider this.

Please find links to the following shark fin products recently offered for sale on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.../dp/B00019FVV8/
http://www.amazon.co...ct//B0001RIQLW/
http://www.amazon.co.../dp/B000637IIS/

Given that many Australian's purchase products from amazon.com, I'm sure they would be interested to hear that the company is supporting this wasteful practice (95-99% of the shark is discarded).

As I'm sure you are aware, the IUCN estimates that more than 100 million sharks are killed annually.

Finning has increased substantially in the past 15 years and fins are sourced worldwide.

Australia has measures in place to outlaw finning, but the highly migratory nature of many shark species means that our sharks are likely to be vulnerable beyond our jurisdiction.

For images from last month which might strengthen media interest see this thread:
http://wetpixel.com/...t...=16752&st=0

And this video:


Both these stills and video were shot very recently in SE Asia and are no doubt repeated worldwide every day.

Also see this page for the pathetic response from Amazon.com in response to customer concerns.
http://wetpixel.com/...shark-fin-soup/

You may consider contacting similar organisations near you to generate media coverage.

The media are much more likely to pick up this issue if they already have background and a comment from a local conservation organisation - to give it a local angle. They may try to get comment from Amazon, but even the details on the wetpixel page demonstrates the apathy they are likely to encounter.

I'll keep you posted on what happens...

Keep up the good fight guys - well done on the success so far. If we can get this up in the media, we'll reach beyond the wetpixel community (which has already had some great successes) and have more ammunition against amazon.

Let's get em.

[anthp]

Well - a few hours on and the Australian Conservation Foundation are making the right noises and will hopefully do a press release tomorrow. Fingers crossed that it gets picked up locally and makes a few more people aware of the issue.

The Humane Society International told me they'd pass it on to their US Counterparts - so maybe someone over there could encourage them to generate some media. Anyone in Washington?

The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L St., NW
Washington, DC 20037
202-452-1100

HSI Australia see it more as a US issue, although I tried to get them to see the local angle - plenty of Aussies buy from amazon.com - oh well.

I'm still working on the AMCS...

Anyone have other ideas?

Edited by anthp, 07 January 2007 - 10:14 PM.

[mt110121]

Thanks a lot for what your doing but I was wondering at the same time that you are doing this cant we contact an International Media? The most problem that we have is education. when I talk to people about this its funny what they answer, most of them say well sharks are dangerous so its good to kill them so they don't attack humans any more and they say that because of their lack of knowledge. I think we should think of that as well as getting help from politicians and setting laws that forbid this.

Thanks,
Mohammad Tavakoli

[martys]

Thanks for the code snippet Eric, I've added it to my Windows Live Space as well.

It's absolutely deplorable that in the capitol of politically correct behavior here in the Pacific Northwest these businesses participate in such destructive anti-environmental practices.

I think I'll email Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to let them know what their local businesses are doing.

[Rocha]

Our movement is having effect, the two soups are now listed as not available, however, these two "vitamins" made of pure shark fin cartilage are still available:

http://www.amazon.co...-...60901&s=hpc

http://www.amazon.co...4901285-1804722

Please, drop you customer reviews there. Also, I left some images in the first, but they have to be voted in to appear.

Let's keep the pressure!

Luiz

[Marjo]

I also received the "canned" reply on my first e-mail to amazon. However, I replied and said I think they will soon find that selling sharkfin soup is more then just "objectionable to some". Thios morning I received a second e-maill from them. Now they are saying that they are removing the items... read on:


Thank you for writing to Amazon.com with your comments regarding
the "shark fin soup."

Please be assured that we are removing the sale of these items from
our website. We always value customer feedback, and I have passed
along your desire that we exclude items of this sort from our site.

You can also confirm by visiting our website that some of these
particular listings has been already removed and no longer available
for sale on our site. I hope this information put you mind at ease.

It is always important for us to hear how customers react to all
aspects of shopping at Amazon.com. Strong customer feedback like
yours helps us continue to improve the selection and service we
provide, and we appreciate the time you took to write to us.

"I hope that you will give us another opportunity to prove the
quality of our service to you in the future.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact us at Amazon.com.


Please let us know if this e-mail resolved your question:

If yes, click here:
http://www.amazon.co...3417704837&q=sn
If not, click here:
http://www.amazon.co...3417704837&q=sn

Please note: this e-mail was sent from an address that cannot accept
incoming e-mail.

To contact us about an unrelated issue, please visit the Help
section of our web site."

[echeng]

Second shark fin cartilage product added to the front page announcement. Haven't had time to update the shared code yet, though.

Luiz has left his, and I just left mine, but the new product needs some more negative reviews:
http://www.amazon.co.../dp/B00028NFBG/

[Marjo]

Another idea on how to get attention to this issue to the broad markets: Instead of posting reviwes for the shark fin products, go to the top selling products (top selling book, music etc) and make a post in the "discussion" section. Reviews are censored, but the discussions appear not to be censored! Post a new discussion with a header such as "Warning, before you buy from Amazon! Shark fin derived products for sale here!" and then post more detail on the issue in the body of the text. This way you are not just "preaching to the choir" or to those who actually buy this crap, but you get the message to the broad market. The customers of Amazon has the right to know before they support Amazon with their dollars!

Edited by Marjo, 08 January 2007 - 11:51 AM.

[Sierranighttide]

Is Seagate still selling Sharp Fin Soup?

http://wetpixel.com/...shark-fin-soup/

[shawnh]

It seems we are making some progress here...are we? Or is Amazon putting the status into out of stock until things quite down. I think we need to push until the are completely removed.


PS Eric et all, added my review to the new product:)