An animal rights protection group yesterday said that after a six-month campaign promoting a boycott of shark fin in wedding banquets, 14 couples have told them about their decision to serve shark fin-free meals, saving an estimated 1,738 sharks.
The Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST) said that between 26 million and 73 million sharks are killed every year worldwide for shark fin dishes in Asia, taking a number of shark species to the brink of extinction.
Among the more than 400 species of sharks, 111 are close to becoming endangered species, the group said.
The group, in association with the Humane Society International, launched a campaign in June urging couples to say no to shark fin soup in their wedding banquets to stop the overfishing of sharks and thereby help maintain a sustainable ocean environment.
EAST said that although 44 couples expressed their support and willingness to join the campaign, many of them encountered family members who refused to give up the ingredient, especially senior family members who believe that face would be lost if costly shark fin soup was not included on the menu.
Fourteen couples have sent copies of their shark fin-free wedding banquet menus to the group, reaching a total of about 428 tables or 4,280 guests, the group said, adding that this may have saved 1,738 sharks.
“The way sharks are slaughtered for their fins is cruel and it’s only to satisfy people’s false pride in serving high-class cuisine,” EAST said.
Newlyweds surnamed Liu (劉) and Kuo (郭), who chose a shark-fin-free menu for their wedding banquet, said of the tradition of eating shark fin: “It causes the extinction of hundreds of species of sharks and the destruction of the marine ecology. This is something we are firmly against.”
The two groups are urging people to boycott the consumption of shark fins, which is also a popular dish during the Lunar New Year holiday.
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