Amidst growing reprisal against the consumption of shark fin, a survey carried out by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) revealed that most Singaporeans believe that the government is not doing enough to protect the species.
Traditionally served as a luxury Chinese dish at special occasions such as wedding and banquets, the demand for it has decreased of recent years. Over half of the respondents claim that they ate less shark fin in the past year, while 82 percent of them think that alternatives to shark fin are completely acceptable.
“It is clear we are experiencing a cultural change where preservation of our ocean resources and conservation of the shark species is becoming more important to the majority of the public than the traditional value of shark fin soup,” says WWF-Singapore CEO Elaine Tan.
“It is time for businesses to step up and match the public’s expectations, stop selling shark fin and support sustainable seafood.”
Perceptions on shark fin are not the only thing that has changed — Singaporeans actively want the government to be active in their role against its consumption and trade. According to the survey, 76 percent of respondents are willing to support government legislation to decrease consumption and trade of shark fin. Furthermore, 41 percent would be willing to go out of their way to support restaurants serving sustainable seafood, and 73 percent are willing to pay more for seafood that is responsibly sourced.
“The Singapore public are already educated on this issue and ready to support policy makers in applying legal controls on the consumption of shark fin, progressing towards a ban in the trade of shark fin here”, remarked Jonn Lu, Regional Director Asia Pacific, Shark Savers.
