Conservation Group To Bring Anti-Shark Fin Soup Message to SF Chinatown

[caption id=”attachment_4657" align=”aligncenter” width=”600" caption=”Shark Fin Soup”]

[/caption]

The Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research and Education [COARE] announced today, along with partner organizations Sea Stewards and WildAid, that two new shark conservation efforts would be launched at events this weekend.

Recent studies have used DNA to show that some of the shark fins used for soup are taken from endangered species.

Shark fin soup, a dish traditionally served at Chinese weddings and banquets, has grown in popularity, increasing consumer demand for shark fins. However, dwindling shark populations worldwide are suffering as millions of sharks are killed every month, many for their fins alone. “The consumption of shark fin soup increases dramatically this time of year,” said Christopher Chin, COARE’s Executive Director. “Many people believe that eating the soup at the beginning of the lunar new year will ensure prosperity in the months to come.”

On Sunday, 07 February, from 11:00am-3:00pm, COARE and WildAid will be holding their second “Sharks in the Park” event at Portsmouth Square in Chinatown, this year joined by Sea Stewards, to raise awareness of the need for shark conservation. The event will include a large, life-sized inflatable white shark, the petition for “Shark Sanctuary San Francisco,” and information about sharks and sustainability in both English and Chinese. “This is going to be even more successful than last year,” said Chin. “We’ve planned this to coincide with the Flower Fair and other celebrations preceding Chinese New Year, and we expect to get a lot of attention, especially with our new messages.”

See below for more: http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=74093816251