**A Call to Protect Sharks: A Meeting with London’s Chinese Restaurant Community**
In a recent visit to Chinatown in London, an impassioned advocate for marine conservation gathered key members of the Chinese restaurant community. The purpose of this meeting was to share insights from an investigative journey and to encourage a significant change: removing shark fin soup from their menus.
The advocate began by addressing the attendees warmly, expressing gratitude for their presence. He explained that his intention was not to accuse anyone but to open a dialogue about the urgent need to address the shark fin industry. With a clear and heartfelt tone, he shared the findings of his investigation into the shark fin trade, which had taken him to ports in Taiwan where thousands of shark fins lay exposed on rooftops. The scale of the problem was overwhelming—every port in China seemed to be involved in this practice.
To visually convey the severity of the issue, the advocate showed footage from his journey. The video revealed the stark reality of shark finning: vast piles of shark fins laid out to dry, a wasteful and brutal practice. He highlighted that only 5% of the shark was used for the fin, with the remaining 95% discarded as byproduct. This wastefulness struck a chord with him, leading him to question why the meat wasn't utilized if the fin was so prized.
The advocate emphasized the need to address this issue not just for environmental reasons but also for ethical ones. Sharks have existed for over 400 million years, yet some populations have declined by 90% in just a decade. The lack of regulation in the industry only exacerbates the problem, leaving the future of sharks uncertain.
The meeting then turned into an open debate. The advocate pleaded with the restaurant owners to consider the impact of their menus on shark populations. He urged them to make a balanced judgment and reflect on the true value of serving shark fin soup. "No bowl of soup is worth the loss of these ancient creatures," he said, appealing to their sense of responsibility.
The response from the restaurant owners was encouraging. Many expressed shock at the footage they had seen and agreed that change was necessary. One owner stated, "After watching this program, I will go back to my boss and tell them how I feel about this. It is shocking." Another added, "I think we would definitely stop serving shark fin soup if all restaurants in this room agree."
The advocate acknowledged the positive outcome of the meeting. While it was a small group, their collective decision could set a precedent, inspiring other restaurants to follow suit. He expressed hope that this initiative would mark the beginning of a shift away from shark fin consumption.
In conclusion, the advocate reflected on the dangers and fascination of his journey. The relentless pursuit of shark fins for soup is unsustainable and unethical. By taking action now, the restaurant community in Chinatown could play a crucial role in protecting these ancient creatures. Sharks deserve to be left alone, their beauty and ecological importance respected.
This meeting in London’s Chinatown was a stepping stone toward a more sustainable future, where tradition meets responsibility. The collective effort to ban shark fin soup from menus is not just a victory for conservation but also a testament to the power of community-driven change.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enI'm back in Chinatown in London and about to come face to face with some key members of the Chinese restaurant community so I've invited quite a lot of the restaurants locally to come meet me show them what I've just gone through and maybe bring them up to speed on what's actually happening because I don't think they quite realize thanks so much for coming hi there good to see you how are you the plan is to show five of London's leading Chinese restaurants some footage of my journey and to persuade them to take shark fin soup off their menus I asked you here today for an open debate and I'm not here to accuse anyone of any wrongdoing or misgiving but after investigating the sort of shark Finning industry in my program I'm convinced by decreasing the demand for shark fin soup it's possible to lessen the demand for Fins to give them an idea of the scale of the problem I'm showing them are found in Kong port in Taiwan can we go on can we go on top of the roof please my God and these all laid out to try there must be thousands of them here this is incredible is every roof like this I'm Chin's cooking he always and has been renowned for using everything 5% you know of the fin 95% as a byproduct you're wasting more than you're using I guess yeah it's something that's been through tradition that sharks fin um you know is prized there are no shark recipes that I know using the meat and so when I look at that I feel that yes we should use the rest of the shark as well as the fin otherwise not at all I need to open their eyes to the barbaric and wasteful reality of Finning of course it's shocking Shing everyone in this room is here for a reason because you can make a difference and that difference would be to start alongside me with a campaign to ban sharp fin soup on the menu here in Chinatown the Chinese they've always looked at sharit as their food product and I think they need to change they need to reflect and to make a balanc judgment to feel wow I didn't know this shot comes from this would you stop serving chaing suit yes I think so after watching this program I will go back to my boss and tell them you know how I feel about this to be honest you know it it is shock me it does shock me would you stop serving Shar soup I think we would definitely do this look yeah do you would I personally think if all the restaurants in this room agree then there is that starting point personally as a consumer I won't be consuming assuming it the meeting went really well it was a small but very powerful group of restaurants and if they're now agreeing with me to stop serving Shar soup that is a huge huge Advantage because now Others May follow the Journey's been incredible and for me has been the most dangerous but the most fascinating trip I've ever done Jesus Christ just Shar after Shar after shark sharks they've been here for over 400 million years and there are some shark populations out there that have gone down by 90% in 10 years and he's upset I'm here but who's regulating this and if we don't start to make a difference now they may not be around by the end of this Century no bowl of soup is worth that leave them alone and respect their beautyI'm back in Chinatown in London and about to come face to face with some key members of the Chinese restaurant community so I've invited quite a lot of the restaurants locally to come meet me show them what I've just gone through and maybe bring them up to speed on what's actually happening because I don't think they quite realize thanks so much for coming hi there good to see you how are you the plan is to show five of London's leading Chinese restaurants some footage of my journey and to persuade them to take shark fin soup off their menus I asked you here today for an open debate and I'm not here to accuse anyone of any wrongdoing or misgiving but after investigating the sort of shark Finning industry in my program I'm convinced by decreasing the demand for shark fin soup it's possible to lessen the demand for Fins to give them an idea of the scale of the problem I'm showing them are found in Kong port in Taiwan can we go on can we go on top of the roof please my God and these all laid out to try there must be thousands of them here this is incredible is every roof like this I'm Chin's cooking he always and has been renowned for using everything 5% you know of the fin 95% as a byproduct you're wasting more than you're using I guess yeah it's something that's been through tradition that sharks fin um you know is prized there are no shark recipes that I know using the meat and so when I look at that I feel that yes we should use the rest of the shark as well as the fin otherwise not at all I need to open their eyes to the barbaric and wasteful reality of Finning of course it's shocking Shing everyone in this room is here for a reason because you can make a difference and that difference would be to start alongside me with a campaign to ban sharp fin soup on the menu here in Chinatown the Chinese they've always looked at sharit as their food product and I think they need to change they need to reflect and to make a balanc judgment to feel wow I didn't know this shot comes from this would you stop serving chaing suit yes I think so after watching this program I will go back to my boss and tell them you know how I feel about this to be honest you know it it is shock me it does shock me would you stop serving Shar soup I think we would definitely do this look yeah do you would I personally think if all the restaurants in this room agree then there is that starting point personally as a consumer I won't be consuming assuming it the meeting went really well it was a small but very powerful group of restaurants and if they're now agreeing with me to stop serving Shar soup that is a huge huge Advantage because now Others May follow the Journey's been incredible and for me has been the most dangerous but the most fascinating trip I've ever done Jesus Christ just Shar after Shar after shark sharks they've been here for over 400 million years and there are some shark populations out there that have gone down by 90% in 10 years and he's upset I'm here but who's regulating this and if we don't start to make a difference now they may not be around by the end of this Century no bowl of soup is worth that leave them alone and respect their beauty\n"
