Food and Beverage
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has announced a Sustainable Seafood Policy, which will include the commitment to stop serving shark's fin at all of the restaurants it operates. It will also stop accepting new orders for shark's fin products at banquets with immediate effect.
The group, however, will honour existing contractual agreements to serve shark's fin if they were signed prior to the adoption of the policy.
Shangri-La removed shark's fin from the menus of its restaurants in December 2011. It plans to phase out Bluefin tuna and Chilean sea bass within a year.
Shangri-La is the second high profile Hong Kong based hotel chain to remove shark's fin from its menus this year. The Peninsula Hotels announced a similar ban on 1 January 2012.
Comment
Okay, I'll admit it. I've had shark's fin soup on many occasions, and I enjoyed it.
What I've learned over the years, however, is that shark's fin itself doesn't have much flavour. That wonderful taste comes not from the shark's fin, but from a very costly broth made of very expensive ingredients. So theoretically you could make a soup with a similar taste – using another ingredient.
But then there is the issue of texture – some people like the texture, and I agree, it is very nice.
Basically, I have two issues with shark's fin soup.
The first is finning. European fishermen apparently slice the fins off the sharks while they are still alive and then throw the sharks – live!!! - back into the sea. This completely and totally disgusts me.
The second issue is sustainability. According to my understanding, sharks are key to the ecosystem of the seas, and if they are eliminated – which very well could happen if current practices continue – we could be in big trouble.
On the opposing side, shark's fin aficionados maintain that shark's fin soup is a delicacy and an important part of Chinese celebrations. An attack on shark's fin soup, to them, is an attack on Chinese culture.
Some go so far as to suggest that an element of racism is involved.
Your Say
Would love to hear your comments – have you ever tried shark's fin soup, did you enjoy it, do you think it should be banned? Why or why not?
You can email me if you've got my email address. Or you can send comments to: Please Comment Here!
What Others Are Saying
The Guardian: Shark Fin Goes Off the Menu at Peninsula Hotels.
USA Today: Peninsula Hotels to Ban Shark Fin Soup in 2012.
Digital Journal: Sir Richard Branson and Celebrities Rally to Ban Shark Fin Soup.
CNN Go: The Peninsula Hotels group Bans Shark Fin from Menus.
Copyright: Michael Taylor.