Rally against shark fin trade opens in Singapore

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Rally against shark fin trade opens in Singapore

 

SINGAPORE (AFP) – 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, subject to strict guidelines.

 

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.