WHAT'S NEXT

No More Shark Fin Soup in Cape Town
  1. Signatures
    1,911 out of 2,000
    Petitioning
    1. Mr Chan Restaurant, Main Road Sea Point, South Africa 021 439 2239
  2. Created By
    Aaron Hansen
    Cape Town, South Africa
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates
How We Won

Sep 09, 2011

Although South Africa is a hotbed for shark finning - a brutal and unsustainable form of harvesting sharks - Mr. Chan was the only restaurant in Cape Town known to offer Shark Fin Soup on their menu. Local resident Aaron Hansen started a petition on Change.org to take a stand against the sale of shark fin products in his hometown. Nearly 2,000 people joined his campaign, and in September 2011, Hansen announced that Mr. Chan Restaurant has confirmed that they no longer serve any Shark Fin Soup. He added, "if you see Shark Fin Soup on the menu of any restaurant, please raise your concerns to the management and tell them how you feel about it as their customer."

Shark finning continues to threaten the existence of sharks around the world. Of the 390 known species of sharks, 110 have been classified as endangered, threatened, or vulnerable, with current findings putting 20 species at the risk of extinction by the end of this decade.

Shark fins are harvested using a brutal and inhumane method as the sharks are finned alive and dumped back into the sea to die. It is estimated that 22 million pounds of shark fins are traded every year in Hong Kong alone. This equals millions of sharks that are killed only for their fins.

Shark fin soup is a traditional dish that is usually reserved for special occasions, like weddings. But, with the blooming Chinese middle class, the growing demand for shark fin soup keeps the price high, fetching from $300 for one pound of fins. This gives the local fishermen ample motivation to continue this often illegal harvest.

Additionally, shark meat and shark bi-products including fins, is known to contain extremely high amounts of mercury which causes birth defects and cardiovascular diseases.

Southern Africa is a hotbed for shark fin fisheries and local restaurants, including Mr. Chan in Cape Town, are still serving Shark Fin Soup despite the environmental damage that this product is causing.  

 

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Stop Selling Products Containing Shark Fins

Dear Mr. Chan Management,

Over one third of all shark species in the world have become endangered. 22 million pounds of shark fins are harvested every year, representing thousands of sharks, many of which are endangered.

Shark fins are harvested using an inhumane and destructive method as the sharks are finned alive and thrown back into the sea, only to drown or bleed to death on the ocean floor. In most cases, the sharks themselves are not used for meat and the hold space is reserved for more fins.

Shark meat and bi-products, including the fins have been found to contain extremely high amounts of methylmercury, a poisonous chemical that causes birth defects and cardiovascular diseases.

I am joining Change.org and many others in boycotting local businesses that continue the sale of shark fin products. Please help support this cause by joining us and assisting these wild animals back from the brink of extinction.

Although shark fin soup is a traditional dish with a history of use in Chinese cuisine, with the delicate nature of the shark populations around the world, this tradition has become outdated and now is the time to take a stand against these unnecessary and wasteful practices by stopping the sale of shark fin products in your establishment.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

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