Author Topic: Proposed campaign to stop restaurants serving shark fin soup in Malaysia (Read 5207 times)

syamdive · « **on:** November 25, 2007, 02:42:12 PM »

hi everyone

despite our awareness of not eating shark fin soup, i must say that the level of awareness in the general malaysian public is lacking. this can be clearly seen when most top chinese restaurant in malaysia still serves shark fin soup which means the public especially the rich & educated (since they probably can afford to eat there) have no problem eating shark fin soup. my plan is to make this habit a taboo in malaysia and the restaurants that serves them be boycotted until they remove shark fin soup from the menu.

when i started some research i was surprised to find out that all chinese restaurants in top hotels in KL serves shark's fin soup. so perhaps we can target our campaign there because the hotels are visited by foreign tourist that has higher awareness in shark conservation issues.

here's a list of 10 chinese restaurants in KL hotels that serves shark's fin soup

No   Name
1   Lai Poo Heen, Mandarin Oriental
2   Shang Palace, Shangri-La KL
3   Golden Phoenix, Hotel Equatorial
4   Toh Lee Chinese Restaurant, Nikko Hotel
5   Dynasty Chinese Restaurant, Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel
6   Li Yen, The Ritz Carlton
7   Shanghai Restaurant, JW Marriott Hotel
8   The Museum, The Legend Hotel
9   Spring Garden, The Crown Princess Hotel
10   Si Chuan Dou Hua, Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur

My proposed plan is first for MUW to send an official request letter to the hotel management to remove shark's fin soup from the menu. This action can be publicized with a press release in other diving communities website & publication such as wetpixel.com, digideep.com, underwaterphotography.com, scubadiver australasia etc. In the press release we'll list the name & email address of the hotels and ask other divers to write a letter to the hotel (with our template) to appeal as well.

What do you guys think? Moderators, do you think its a good idea?
Any other ideas? Should we do this? (coz no one else will...)

syamdive

Snafu · « **Reply #1 on:** November 25, 2007, 04:18:23 PM »

hmmmmmmm....when is a go, how far are you willing to go?

timyang · « **Reply #2 on:** November 25, 2007, 08:55:04 PM »

Sharks fin can still be on the menu. But you sure they REAL sharks fin or FAKE sharks fin?

Look at the price, can already tell.

Most likely, they are fake sharks fin, especially at the ones in the KL hotels.

YaRp · « **Reply #3 on:** November 25, 2007, 09:55:01 PM »

if there's no regulation/amendment on banning selling the shark fins...these ppl won't be bothered if we send them any letters or whatsoever as long as they can see a lot of $$$$$ coming in from selling that stuff..juz my 1 cent opinion though

Ozfish · « **Reply #4 on:** November 25, 2007, 10:33:10 PM »

well syamdive if you really wanna drive this no shark-fin dinner might as well you run the m'sian chapter of sea sherperd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqDOOX_5J0Y&feature=related

then go ramp the fishing boats thats hauling up the sharks....

my personal opinion is your drive would be a futile attempt as humans would not learn till its too late. If there is no more shark at the top end of the food chain imagine the chain reaction.....to those who believes in the END...it is nigh

so what would you do...

MACHA · « **Reply #5 on:** November 26, 2007, 12:00:14 AM »

Syamdive you're making the Brickfield fellas proud!.....good research & Tim yang got a reasonable reply too. Always wonder is it okay not to have any form of shark fin soup either fake or original in a Chinnese Wedding Ceremony menu?...forgive my ignorance.
Malaysian Sea Shepperd must check with adik....hahahaha

Snafu · « **Reply #6 on:** November 26, 2007, 02:30:37 AM »

Adik is German Shepherd group ....

timyang · « **Reply #7 on:** November 26, 2007, 09:08:30 AM »

Quote from: Ozfish on November 25, 2007, 10:33:10 PM

well syamdive if you really wanna drive this no shark-fin dinner might as well you run the m'sian chapter of sea sherperd then go ramp the fishing boats thats hauling up the sharks....

Ozfish, Syamdive isn't saying go get the fishermen catching sharks. He's saying INFORM the restaurants selling sharks fins.

That's quite different.

timyang · « **Reply #8 on:** November 26, 2007, 09:13:29 AM »

Quote from: MACHA on November 26, 2007, 12:00:14 AM

Always wonder is it okay not to have any form of shark fin soup either fake or original in a Chinnese Wedding Ceremony menu?...forgive my ignorance.

It will be hard to take sharks fin off the menu. Especially when there isn't any sharks fin inside at all.

It can also be argued that a lot of chinese dishes merely have fanciful names that aren't to be taken seriously.

For example, there's one called Buddha Hair and another called Beggar's Chicken. We can't expect the chef shaved Buddha to make the meal or stole some beggar's dinner for it.

Similarly, we can no longer expect sharks fin in a dish called Sharks Fin Soup, nor take the name so seriously.

Adzri · « **Reply #9 on:** November 26, 2007, 10:11:29 AM »

Quote from: Snafu on November 26, 2007, 02:30:37 AM

Adik is German Shepherd group ....

So you guys can further plan and discuss what you want to do . Once you make a decision you let me know . My 12' boat with 20 HP engine is ready for some action.

Im just joking . I think the one in Mandarin Oriental served the actual SHARK FIN. How about at the Medicine Shop???

Ozfish · « **Reply #10 on:** November 26, 2007, 10:26:51 AM »

as long as there is demand n easy $$ to make these restaurant would serve all the shark fins they can fake or not fake....point is awareness programe should focus on the demand side...no demand price goes down..... no profit margin no sale...n shark would be free to hunt again....

syamdive · « **Reply #11 on:** November 26, 2007, 01:15:51 PM »

the objective is simple - to make eating shark fin taboo amongst rich & educated malaysians. people still associate shark fin soup with luxury - my plan is to turn it around and making eating shark fin soup as irresponsible & unfashionable - like eating turtles eggs or wearing fur.

i think fake or real is irrelevant because its the habit we're trying to break. if they announce that they use fake fins & people make an effort to avoid real fins then its ok. but we know that's not the case because people eat it for prestige. every hotel i call boast about the wide selections of cooking style they have, braised, double-boiled, with crab-meat, abalone, chicken & ham. none of them said it was fake.

the target is top international hotels in KL - they're easy target and respond quickly to any adverse publicity that might tarnish their image, especially in the eye of international travellers. international travellers are more concerned about the environment then your average malaysian. my hope is when our PR announces that MUW sent the letter to the hotels complete with hotel names & e-mail address and this get publicized in all the diving related publications as a news item - international divers that will be visiting malaysia will take note. and if they plan to stay in one of those hotels we will urge them to write to the hotel requesting them to remove sharks fin soup from the menu. we can also mention that there are top hotels in KL that doesn't serve shark fin soup e.g. hilton & le meridien.

if this works, imagine going to chinese restaurants in the hotels advertising the fact that they don't serve shark fin soup as a way to establish their green credibility. this will automatically change people's perception of eating shark's fin soup as prestigious.

anyway if the MUW mods agree i'll draft the letter for everyone's comment. this should be what malaysian divers do - our little contribution to try & make a change.

jgshuwei · « **Reply #12 on:** November 26, 2007, 02:33:41 PM »

I support u but i need to tell u this, serving sharkfin soup is like something to do with face value in Chinese community. One will feel too stingy if no sharkfin soup was served in official function.

Nitrogen addict · « **Reply #13 on:** November 26, 2007, 04:12:16 PM »

Recently I was in one of the seafood restaurant at Kg. Melayu subang. After dinner I was looking around and I saw something funny hanging on the ceiling near the aquarium area where they keep all the fresh item like fresh lobster, fresh grouper and all. So i went and wanted to know what are those things hanging to my surprised after a while then only i realised it was dried shark fins. OMG i think more than 30 sharks had been killed to have that kind of fins hanging there. Another surprised I saw mooray eel in their aquarium tank.

I dun know IMHO everything begin from our own home and then let it spread to others. Recently I attended a dinner function. They served 9 course Chinese meal. I was with my girlfriends and their children . As usual the second course shark fin soup. When they started serving it all my friend's kid refused or rejected the shark fin soup. I asked them why don't you have the soup??? they answered to me that their mama told them not to have shark fin soup or anything with shark fin because the shark being murdered in cruel way and mama showed us the pictures. We left the table for a while went out and wait till the next course. Bottom line all begins from home. Educate them when they still young

If we want to stop shark fins soup from serving in the restaurant I am sure "DATUKS TAN SRI AND VIP" will start pulling string and they will do anything to have it because to them it is symbol of prestige and what jgshuwie says face value for Chinese community. Better start campaign to the public and

WHEN THE BUYING STOP THE KILLING STOP TOO

Bobo® · « **Reply #14 on:** November 27, 2007, 01:57:46 AM »

errr.. we're campaigning too.. click here for more... http://malaysianunderwater.com/sharks-traders

wing0112 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 27, 2007, 09:09:52 AM »

well guys... i have much to say but then i think i will not say it in full la.... okies in short of asking the restaurant to stop serving shark fin are ridiculous as hotel has the each and every right to sell whatever they want as long as its legal. Legal in a sense means HALAL. So maybe u can write to the Islamic religions dept or whoever u think might add shark fin as a non-HALAL food la. Then the hotel have to stop selling as to comply with the local regulations of not to serve non-halal meals.

secondly for me... i think if i got the money i will do a mass production of fake shark fin and sell it to the traders at relatively cheap dirt price so most of the people will go for the budget 1. Rich and famous wedding.... Yups... u think there is so many rich and famous wedding meh..... the last wedding i attend at 5* hotel are no longer serving shark fin as their soup lo... so eventually when no ppl opt for the real 1... killing will stop also lo.... however considering Msian Chinese population at 3x% consuming shark fin is nothing compare to China, HOng Kong. Speaking about Hong KOng... even Disneyland also serve Shark Fin in the wedding dinner la.. although WWF, any NGO wrote letter in protest.. they just say... its their customer choice and they will do their very best to fulfill customer needs.

so a letter from MUW will only end up at tong sampah.. even if the GM of the hotel are touch by the move... but in the end... they could lose their job if their business fails as they need to answer to their owners. Unless if u manage to get DYMM,YM,YBHG,DJK,ABC,EFG and etc etc to sign it and send to them. But do u think they will?

Its all about the money lah dude.... like our garbage dump area are going to pill up as tall as KLCC but then gov dowan to buy the plants to handle the garbage problem.. reason... the plant is too expensive as the cost of 10 plants = 1 SPACE TOURIST. if i am not mistaken la...

so guys... we can only do our part by educating our family member, relatives, friends and neighbours and think of whether will they listen to u first or not rather than hoping outsider or totally a stranger to listen to you. I think in another 30 years... maybe ppl wont consume shark fin already as no more shark.. or might go for chicken wing soup.

okies just my opinion and if u dun like it.. SORRY

Daniel Lim · « **Reply #16 on:** November 27, 2007, 01:27:44 PM »

I support U. But u think, is it can work. Nowdays, most of the high class restaurant sell something in fresh.
Mostly I saw a few in Klang Valley already. They got also nurse shark . Like ( Nitrogen Addict ) said , at Kampung Melayu Subang . One at Pj and also at Cheras just opposite Leisure Mall Complex. They also have the most expensive crab that Spider Crab,Snow Crab and etc.. Maybe next time when we dive, nothing to see already............

mocha · « **Reply #17 on:** November 27, 2007, 01:58:42 PM »

almost the same as writing to traders in KB market or pasar payang not to sell telur penyu.... it is a noble suggestion but i think it will work better by campaigning in schools or teaching the younger generation on conservation.....traders/restaurateur /hotelier are all profit making ppl....they will only be concern if the letter have impact to their business......
well, if sharks fins is about status symbol... then how about telur penyu?? i think alot out there are just plain ignorant... they are not being told or educated... maybe we shud look into this aspect instead.....

timyang · « **Reply #18 on:** November 27, 2007, 05:05:46 PM »

I think no one has the right to be dissuading Syamdive from writing a letter and making other attempts to communicate that eating sharks fins is disagreeable.

MUW actually does have an advocacy section. Like Google uses Google.org for its advocacy work, MUW has Malaysianunderwater.org.

That website can be used to communicate a message like Eating Sharks Fins is Wrong, if it can be communicated in a targeted and persuasive manner.

Snafu · « **Reply #19 on:** November 27, 2007, 10:36:42 PM »

Quote from: Tim Yang on November 27, 2007, 05:05:46 PM

MUW actually does have an advocacy section. Like Google uses Google.org for its advocacy work, MUW has Malaysianunderwater.org.

That website can be used to communicate a message like Eating Sharks Fins is Wrong, if it can be communicated in a targeted and persuasive manner.

Very smart indeed...that is the way, after all we do have the www.malaysianunderwater.org ready to go

We have shark traders list if anyone interested to visit them to find out more about the shark fin industries in Malaysia so we can tap into the core problem insted of trying to do something which been done for the past 10yrs & not working.

I have a plan but would need help to get it moving...say next year project.

PM if interested.

wing0112 · « **Reply #20 on:** November 28, 2007, 08:53:15 AM »

well then if its a beneficial project i am sure most of the people will take pat. u can count me in bro.

oh yeah the biggest and strongest selling point for telur penyu will be coz its a cheap viagra. Kuat tenago batin.... also reflect symbol mah... of making the most babies...

Nitrogen addict · « **Reply #21 on:** November 28, 2007, 04:19:56 PM »

just my humble 1 cent opinion

1. To begin with, we start campaigning to our members first "Don't eat sharks Fin" doesnt matter the artificial/fake or real fins
2. During MIDE 08 we can campaign to the public "don't eat shark fin"
3. MUW can make t shirt " don't eat shark fin" with MUW logo and we can sell to members and non members. (walking advertisment)
4. Printing material to be distributed during the MIDE 08 and schools, universities, IPTA, IPTS.

Just a suggestions. I will help as much as i could.

blackbear · « **Reply #22 on:** November 28, 2007, 04:38:10 PM »

Yo all!!

Da Bear wants in on the action..

Count me in!!

Peace All!!!

woren76 · « **Reply #23 on:** November 28, 2007, 06:44:35 PM »

saw one at Sipadan last week.

Nitrogen addict · « **Reply #24 on:** November 28, 2007, 07:43:45 PM »

Nice pix woren

Bobo® · « **Reply #25 on:** November 28, 2007, 08:06:05 PM »

ya why not transfered it to Tee.... with the fin also look nice lar

djdre · « **Reply #26 on:** December 12, 2007, 11:25:17 AM »

Very noble but rather than try and go at it alone, why not team up with the Malaysian Nature Society? The MNS has had a 2 year 'Fins - Best on Sharks' Campaign. They need pledges from companies and individuals that have refused to serve shark fin soup at company functions or weddings. You guys can contribute there too. 1 + 1 can equal 3 or more. It is better to team with a well established and reputed NGO to push the agenda.

I certainly signed off for my wedding and my company.

http://www.mns.org.my/artabout.php?aid=95

All the info you need is in the above link.

Also, when this show is released...

http://www.sharkwater.com/

Spread the word, go get a copy and let your whole office watch it. I'm still waiting for it to hit our shores. Not sure if it has. It's alot more easier to convince rather than just telling them, you just get a lot of cynical remarks back.

It worked for 'An Inconvenient Truth' for me to get the message of climate change out.

My opinion is that convincing a Chinese restaurant to stop serving Shark Fin WILL NOT WORK. There is too much money at stake. If real shark fins becomes an even more scarce resource (which it is), then that will drive the cost of the soup up, which means more profits. Just like Oil.

Hope this is helpful. If you need some MNS names, let me know.

Good luck.

Cheers

Bobo® · « **Reply #27 on:** December 28, 2007, 05:27:19 PM »

sheik · « **Reply #28 on:** December 28, 2007, 11:20:34 PM »

Quote from: woren76 on November 28, 2007, 06:44:35 PM

saw one at Sipadan last week.

Good one! I hope there's no shark got hurt in filming or talking this pic.

maritimer · « **Reply #29 on:** December 28, 2007, 11:22:45 PM »

...when the buying stops the killing does too...

No harm in trying. i fully support the idea. Maybe, we can start small.

Another thought, if we can't break it at least we can dent it...

Author Topic: Proposed campaign to stop restaurants serving shark fin soup in Malaysia (Read 5207 times)

timyang

timyang

timyang

timyang