Recently someone had left me an anonymous comment on Pradyots blog asking if serving sharkfin soup is legal. I contacted Humane Society International regarding the same and here's what Susan Prolman of HSI had to say.
"Hello Shubhaprada,
Thank you for contacting HSI.
In answer to your questions concerning legality, It is not illegal to sell and/or serve shark fin in the United States. There are numerous species of sharks. Some of these are critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable. Fishing is not illegal for all shark species in the United States, although it is regulated.
Humane Society International is fighting for policy changes to better protect sharks at a national and international level. In addition, we are working to reduce demand by asking companies to not sell or serve dishes containing shark fin. I appreciate your concern regarding this issue. It would be most helpful if you would visit these restaurants, ask whether they serve dishes containing shark fin and, if they do, ask them to stop and provide the name of a restaurant, a contact name, and contact information to me.
You can also learn more about the issue by visiting www.hsi.org/sharks.
Thank you for your concern,
Susan
Susan Prolman, Esq.
Director of International Campaigns
Humane Society International
2100 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037"
1 comments:
I read this press release a few days ago about another group that is trying to stop shark fin soup in the US. Apparently there's a lot of it here?!? I already printed out the coupons...
Consumers Can Help Stop Shark Finning
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 28, 2007) – The Animal Welfare Institute has sent letters of warning to restaurants in major cities that offer shark fin soup on their menus. In addition, the organization is working to expand its campaign from Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco to the entire nation.
“The movie Jaws may have encouraged beachgoers to look for fins in the ocean, but we’re encouraging consumers to look for fins before ordering food at the local Chinese restaurant,” said AWI’s Serda Ozbenian. “If shark fins are on the menu, people must raise an objection and look for somewhere else to eat.”
Recent estimates show that over 70 million sharks are being slaughtered for their fins annually. Fins are typically removed while the sharks are still conscious. Because of the high value of shark fins and the relatively low value of their meat, the bodies are discarded back into the ocean, where the animals endure slow, agonizing deaths.
Even the fins from threatened species – including the basking, porbeagle, dogfish, gulper and hammerhead sharks – are being marketed. Since sharks are top predators, their decimation creates a ripple effect throughout the marine food web, impairing the balance of the ocean ecosystem. Sharks are particularly vulnerable because they produce few young and mature late.
The restaurant blacklist and a coupon with a message in both English and Chinese requesting businesses that carry the product to “Let Sharks Keep Their Fins … Say No to Shark Fin Soup” are available on the AWI website. As consumers locate offending restaurants not yet listed, they should email the names of the establishments to nosharkfinning@awionline.org.
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