Peninsula Hotels bans shark fin soup
23 November 2011
Luxury hotel group The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd has announced that it will stop serving shark fin at its Peninsula hotels from January.
The group said the decision was made "in recognition of the threat facing the global shark population and in line with the company's sustainability vision".
"The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd., parent company of The Peninsula Hotels, today announced that it will stop serving shark fin at all its group operations, effective 1 January 2012," it stated.
All banquet bookings involving shark fin product made before November 21 will be honoured, it added however.
The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd currently operates nine Peninsula hotels including in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo and New York.
"By removing shark fin from our menus, we hope that our decision can contribute to preserving the marine ecosystem for the world's future generations. As Asia's oldest hotel company, we also hope that our decision will inspire other hospitality companies to do the same and that our industry will play a role in helping to preserve the biodiversity of our oceans,” said CEO Clement Kwok.
Shark fin soup is a popular delicacy at banquets and weddings in Asia, especially China. It is particularly popular in Hong Kong, which has been described as ‘the global shark fin capital’.
Good News! This hotel group has put a full-stop on serving Sharks-Fin soup.