Disney Tokyo to serve shark skin soup -- from skinned, living sharks

[villager]

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
International Headquarters
PO Box 2616, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
www.seashepherd.org


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 09, 2005

DISNEY SAYS - SHOW ME THE MONEY!








Shark Finning is Really, Really Bad, But We Want the Money Says Disney

In a bizarre and completely unacceptable move, Hong Kong Disneyland has offered to distribute a leaflet with every bowl of shark fin soup they plan to serve at wedding banquets at the Disneyland Hotel in Hong Kong. The leaflets will explain that sharks are threatened and that the fins are cruelly removed and the live sharks are sometimes tossed back into the sea to die an agonizing death.

A Disney spokesperson says that this will be an educational campaign. "If customers insist on shark's fin soup we will agree to serve it to them but with a leaflet carrying information on shark fin harvesting," Disney spokeswoman Irene Chan said.

Disney defended its policy saying to not serve sharkskin would be "unthinkable" in Hong Kong where the food is a delicacy and where, because of its high value, its consumption is considered a sign of affluence."

Disney said it will serve shark fin in consideration of "local cultural sensitivities."

Sea Shepherd asks: What next? Whale burgers at Japan's Disneyland or how about doggie burgers for Filipino and Korean customers? Some cultures like cock-fighting and other cultures like monkey brains. If the profit is there, will Disney serve baby seal flipper pie?

Disney apparently believes that exploitation of threatened species and cruelty are justified if cultural demands are present and the price is right.

Disney also defended their plans by saying they will buy only from reputable shark fin dealers in Hong Kong. The problem is that there are no reputable shark fin dealers in Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong is the largest entry point in the world for illegally obtained shark fins," said Captain Paul Watson, president and founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. "The entire shark fin market is polluted with contraband shark products. Disney must really believe that conservationists are stupid enough to accept their bogus 'education and good faith package.'"

Sea Shepherd will not accept anything less than the complete removal of shark fin soup from the menus of any restaurant or hotel owned by the Disney Corporation.

"Forget about finding Nemo," said Captain Watson. "In a decade we won't be able to find a shark in the oceans and Disney will have contributed to that tragedy. Come on Eisner, you've got enough money, leave the sharks alone."

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization in the U.S. Founded in 1977 by Captain Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd's mission is to defend, conserve, and protect marine wildlife and their habitats.

[liberalnurse]

1. I watch the "Iron Chef" on Food Network.

Shark Fin is very traditional there in Japan.

[villager]

3. well, "traditional" won't trump "extinct"

...when it comes to that

[flvegan]

10. "Tradition" also has sharks caught, finned, and tossed back into the ocean

Cruel, wasteful and incredibly f'ing selfish.

[RebeccaS]

2. Awful

That just makes me cry.

Have you ever heard of bear paw soup? The sun bear is taken alive, before a group, and it's paw is chopped off into the boiling pot. They say the louder the bear screams the better the soup. A wealthy patron will pay extra to have a bear that still has both paws (a fresh bear) and will also send it back for another bear if the one they get doesn't cry out loudly enough.

I am sickened. The sun bear is getting harder and harder to find in the wild, yet this dish is still served and considered a delicacy.

This cruelty is something that saddens me daily. I can not escape from the sadness.

[villager]

4. you do wonder what the "payback" for our species

...is finally going to be...

[assclown_bush]

6. This story just makes me want to cry.

I am sickened and angered too but...ultimately just so sad that people can be so cruel to helpless creatures.

:cry:

[assclown_bush]

5. What is wrong with people???? I am so angry about this!

I can hardly type. This is just sick and disgusting. How can human beings show so little compassion for a living creature. It's bad enough that people hunt and kill these prehistoric masters of the ocean...but to skin them alive just so that diners can enjoy a delicacy??!!! It's outrageous. I pray that they stop this practice and soon.

:grr:

[NEOBuckeye]

9. If you think that's horrible, then don't look at this...

http://itstheirdestiny.2kat.net/dogslife.html
Worse than you can imagine. WARNING: Link leads to very graphic pictures.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Tokyo and Hong Kong are not the same place

I just want to point out that this has nothing to do with Japan.

[villager]

8. boy, you're right, and if I could edit my post, I would...

I just put the "trouble at an Asian Disneyland" press release right up on DU, and just went with the default memory of the Tokyo "Happiest Place on Earth" being there.

Mea culpa, apologies to Tokyo (in this instance, though various whales in the ocean may see it differently...)