Shark Fin Soup at HK

**ROBONICS95** · 05-22-2005, 10:48 AM

Disney - which claims to be environmentally friendly - is "making a mistake of the highest order'' in serving shark fin soup to high-paying guests at wedding banquets, warned leading environmentalist Brian Darvell.

The comments of the Hong Kong University professor were echoed by green groups who claim the theme park will be contributing to an environmental disaster.

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/s.../GE23Aa01.html

**Labuda** · 05-24-2005, 10:14 AM

Just heard about this today on Air America Radio - Morning Sedition. Apparently Greenpeace has asked that HKDL remove Shark fin soup from the menu.

**Gemini Cricket** · 05-24-2005, 10:17 AM

Bruce Fin Soup?! Ugh.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4574401.stm

**Mouse princess** · 05-24-2005, 10:29 AM

I actually walked out of a resturaunt once in China town because they served Sharkfin osoup. They usually only use the fin and throw the shark back in the water to die. I am not an animal rights activist or anything, but I have to draw the line with some cruel and totally unnecessary treatment of animals

**Gemini Cricket** · 05-24-2005, 10:57 AM

Everybody download a Seafood Watch Card!

**xfkirsten** · 05-24-2005, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by Mouse princess

I actually walked out of a resturaunt once in China town because they served Sharkfin osoup. They usually only use the fin and throw the shark back in the water to die. I am not an animal rights activist or anything, but I have to draw the line with some cruel and totally unnecessary treatment of animals

My thoughts exactly. That has always been my biggest issue with shark-finning. Completely unnessecary of them to mutilate an animal, then leave it to "live" like that. And that's not even considering the fact that shark finning is not a sustainable market in its current practice.

**Disneyphile** · 05-24-2005, 11:17 AM

This, to me, is the most disgusting part of the article:

However, the practice is not illegal here, largely because eating shark fin soup carries cultural significance: it is seen as luxurious and a display of affluence.

Just even the thought of that makes me cringe. Some people are more concerned about their "image" than that of the world around them? To me, people like that are the most pathetic on the planet. They shouldn't even be served table scraps.

**Disneyphile** · 05-24-2005, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by xfkirsten

Completely unnessecary of them to mutilate an animal, then leave it to "live" like that.

They don't even live past about 2 weeks, since they starve to death, because they can't swim after their prey without the use of their dorsal fin, which has been sliced off with a big knife in this case.

**WDW1974** · 05-24-2005, 10:20 PM

Amazing the hypocrisy Disney shows. They preach the environment and such causes when it's convenient like at DAK, but then sell out when it's an issue of money or 'offending local sensibilities."

**Soulquarian** · 05-24-2005, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by WDW1974

Amazing the hypocrisy Disney shows. They preach the environment and such causes when it's convenient like at DAK, but then sell out when it's an issue of money or 'offending local sensibilities."

A person could say the same thing about Americans and burgers, or chickens or whatever...

Who are we to judge someone's culture?

**TDLFAN** · 05-24-2005, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by Soulquarian

Who are we to judge someone's culture?

Maybe we should ask the Feds that question, since the current administration does just that all of the time.

**GeneralShang** · 05-25-2005, 12:32 AM

i love Shark Fin soup... sorry. I'm Chinese. don't kill me.

Perhaps Disney should offer the "chicken" version -- in which the "shark fin" in the soup is an imitation. Although the Chinese can taste the "fake" immediately... but at least they're not advocating the killing of sharks yet still offering something that is rather authentic and important to the chinese culture..
I dunno... either way..

**xfkirsten** · 05-25-2005, 07:43 AM

But see, it's not the soup itself that bothers me. I'm a meat-eater, I love my meat. However, I think that they need to first outlaw the practice of cutting off the fins and throwing them back. If you're going to catch them, you need to actually kill them at the time you catch them, and preferrably make use of the rest of the animal. Also, they need to severely limit the number of animals taken, as a conservation measure. What's going to happen down the line when they've killed all the sharks and there's none left to make this highly-sought after soup? To me, that just seems like common sense, not to overhunt a prey species. If not for ethical or moral reasons, then simply for practical reasons.

**Disneyphile** · 05-25-2005, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by xfkirsten

If you're going to catch them, you need to actually kill them at the time you catch them, and preferrably make use of the rest of the animal.

I totally agree. I'd have no problem with the soup, as long as the rest of the animal is used, even if for scientific purposes. To me, it's a waste of life, just because of someone's "tastes". It's why I won't buy fur products from uneaten animals. I just don't need the "vanity".

As for "condemning a culture", I'm not condemning their culture, but some peoples' choices. I don't care what culture they are - I just think it's horrible to purposely waste a life just for a feeling of "status". I feel the same way about people who hunt for sport, right here in America. Eat it, and I think that's great. Just kill it to skin it or stuff it and mount it to show off to people, and I think that's really sad and pathetic. I'm totally not impressed.

I think Disney could offer a very nice high-"status" dinner without having to resort to shark fin soup.

**WDW1974** · 05-26-2005, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by Soulquarian

A person could say the same thing about Americans and burgers, or chickens or whatever...

Who are we to judge someone's culture?

I am not speaking for anyone but myself. Although as a Disney stockholder, I'd like to believe 'we' as a group have some say.

And you're absolutely right about Americans and what we eat. Although we don't usually chop the legs off chickens and toss em back in the fields or cut out half the entrails of a cow and then let it out of the slaughter house.

A lot of very bad things have been excused under the excuse that they're part of a certain groups 'culture' ... if something is wrong, it's wrong whether or not it hurts business or not. Disney has the right to say 'we won't serve this item' ...