local
Shark-free weddings
Katrina Lau talks to Hong Kong Shark Foundation’s Andrea Richey about its recent collaboration with Bride Union daunting fact is that over 50 percent of the world’s shark fin produced is traded through Hong Kong. Working towards shark conservation, the Hong Kong Shark Foundation (HKSF) has joined forces with online wedding planner, Bride Union to keep the cruel industry out of weddings. The message is simple, say no to having shark fin at your wedding. By collaborating with leading hotel venues including The Peninsula and Ritz-Carlton, restaurants and various wedding service providers, HKSF believes more people will remove the dish from their menus. Couples who go shark-free will receive exclusive discounts and offers from vendors ranging from bridal make-up and gowns to venue decorations. Tech giant Google has also shown its support for the campaign, offering ad support to the foundation. “Though many of the younger generations think shark fin is no longer important at their wedding, it is sadly still very common in Hong Kong and Macau. This could be due to a number of reasons including tradition, family pressure, status and lack of education,” says Andrea Richey, Executive Director of HKSF. Along with weddings, HKSF also encourages companies to ban shark fin from corporate events and annual dinners in its Shark-Free Company campaign. If you are planning a wedding or want to see who’s involved, HKSF and Bride Union will be running a virtual wedding fair to promote shark-free weddings until February 2 at hksharkfoundation.org. As a symbol of luxury, shark fin soup has long been a staple in Chinese wedding banquets. The delicacy was once only available to the upper class and was a reflection of a family’s wealth and affluence. But the world has soon realised that the pretty dish compromises a lot to the environment. By hunting for their valuable fins, predators of sharks are threatening the balance of ecosystems in the ocean. Not only do shark fins have no taste or nutritional value, the accumulative heavy metals in them can also be dangerous for consumption. According to a World Wildlife Foundation study conducted in 2018, 49,331 weddings in Hong Kong served shark-fin soup, with 204 bowls consumed per wedding. Despite rising awareness, over 100 million sharks are caught worldwide for their fins every year. Another
14 | SOUTHSIDE
