A member of the anti-shark fins animal rights
group
SINGAPORE : Animal rights activists launched a campaign in
Singapore Saturday against the consumption of shark fin, a status
symbol when served at Chinese wedding banquets and dinners.
The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) held the
rally at Speakers' Corner, Singapore's only venue for outdoor
assemblies and demonstrations.
A large banner bearing the slogan "when sharks die, the oceans die"
was displayed at a nearby park close to Singapore's business
district.
Louis Ng, ACRES's executive director and founder, told 100
supporters that more than 3,800 sharks were caught every 20 minutes
to meet global demand for shark fin, pushing many shark species
towards extinction.
"Let us not only say no to shark fins but let us also be advocates
for sharks and tell people why we do not, and will not, eat them,"
Ng said.
One of ACRES's supporters at the rally, physiotherapist Chng Chye
Tuan, said he and his wife-to-be had decided against offering shark
fin soup to guests at their wedding next month, despite opposition
from both sets of parents.
"You can see the impact that humans are having on the ecosystem.
The variety of fish is not as much as before," said Chng, referring
to observations he had made during diving trips.
- AFP /ls