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Hong Kong restaurants take shark fin off the menu – in pictures

September 25, 2018

Conservationists have welcomed the decision by Maxim’s, one of Hong Kong’s biggest restaurant chains, to ban shark fin at all of its outlets from January 2020

Shark fin soup is a cultural dish in Hong Kong, dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). But in recent years there has been growing public awareness of the shark fin trade and the need for conservation management. Photograph: Paul Hilton/WildAid HK

Most of the fins come from blue sharks, seen here swimming in the cool waters of the Azores, Atlantic ocean.Photograph: Paul Hilton/WildAid HK
A blue shark is pulled from the Mozambique Channel, onboard a Japanese longliner, Fukuseki Maru No 07. Photograph: Paul Hilton/WildAid HK

 

The fins can command a high price. The rest of the shark is usually thrown back into the water, often while still alive. Photograph: WildAid HK
Shark fisheries in Indonesia. The country is still the largest exporter of shark fin to Hong Kong. Photograph: Paul Hilton/WildAid HK
About 100 million sharks are killed globally each year, and one of the major incentives for this is the fin trade. Photograph: Paul Hilton/Earth Tree/WildAid HK

A large blue shark is finned in Indonesia. The practice is damaging shark populations, with numbers drastically declining around the world. While blue sharks make up the majority, many other species are also targeted including the endangered scalloped hammerhead and the smooth hammerhead. Photograph: Paul Hilton/Earth Tree/WildAid HK

Shark fins drying in the Sheung Wan district of Hong Kong.Photograph: Paul Hilton for Earth Tree/WildAid HK
Shark fins on sale in Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan district. Photograph: Paul Hilton for Earth Tree/WildAid HK

Members of environmental group WildAid protest outside a Maxim’s restaurant in Jardine House, Hong Kong. Photograph: Alex Hofford/WildAid HK

Shark fin soup is served at a Hong Kong restaurant. Photograph: Paul Hilton/Earth Tree/WildAid HK
While changing public attitudes are encouraging, there is still a long way to go to safeguard sharks. Healthy shark populations are important, because as top predators they are key to the entire marine ecosystem. Photograph: Alex Hofford/WildAid HK
A billboard on a Hong Kong subway platform features Chinese movie and TV celebrity Bowie Wu-fung calling on restaurants in the city to stop selling shark fins. Photograph: Alex Hofford/WildAid HK

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About WildAid

WildAid is a non-profit organization with a mission to protect wildlife from illegal trade and other imminent threats. While most wildlife conservation groups focus on protecting animals from poaching, WildAid primarily works to reduce global consumption of wildlife products such as elephant ivory, rhino horn and shark fin soup. With an unrivaled portfolio of celebrity ambassadors and a global network of media partners, WildAid leverages more than $308 million in annual pro-bono media support with a simple message: When the Buying Stops, the Killing Can Too. 

Journalists on deadline may email communications@wildaid.org

Tags: Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, news, shark finning, Sharks