(TH) Shark fin

[Guest guest]

eateries sue green group for lost trade

Agence France-Presse

 

http://www.hk-imail.com/inews/public/article_v.cfm?articleid=28616 & intcatid=

3

 

BANGKOK: Shark fin soup restaurants in Bangkok's Chinatown yesterday filed a

103 million baht (HK$17.51 million) law suit against conservation group

WildAid over its high-profile campaign against the costly dish.

The group of 15 restaurateurs said their trade had dropped by up to half

since the activists launched an advertising campaign two months ago claiming

that shark fins contain poisonous mercury.

``The campaign has not only spoiled our decades-old reputation but also our

sales,'' said Chinatown Food Producers Group chairman Adul Laohapol, adding

that sales of canned shark fin soup had also fallen.

``The plaintiff has been damaged because overseas supermarkets returned

products, fearing the shark fin was laced with mercury as the group

claimed,'' court papers said.

Mr Adul said the suit also targeted advertising agency JWalter Thompson,

which devised the shock advertisements that included pictures of a bowl of

soup with human ears floating on the surface.

``If shark fin traders do not take any action it will cause them billions of

baht in damages in the future,'' Mr Adul said, adding that any proceeds from

the court case would be donated to Thailand's tourism authority.

WildAid has argued that the trade in shark fins will damage Thailand's

valuable tourism industry by wiping out the species of sharks that scuba

divers come from all around the world to see.

It also said that the way the fins are harvested - by slicing the cartilage

off the body and dumping the animal in the sea to die - is cruel, and that

the dish has no health benefits, as its proponents claim.

WildAid director Steven Galster yesterday vowed not to call off the

campaign, despite the legal action and ``vague threats'' from shark fin

traders which have prompted him to hire security for the group's offices.

``WildAid stands behind its campaign to raise public awareness about the

realities associated with the trade in sharks fins, and will not back down

from legal or other types of threats,'' he said.

``We told and showed the public the truth. We remain committed to working

co-operatively with shark fin merchants in order to find a solution that

benefits sharks, the oceans, and Thailand.''

Mr Galster said the campaign had been stepped up after initial efforts to

engage the support of shark fin merchants were rejected, with the traders

dismissing WildAid's action as ``toothless''.

``We are happy about our progress, but still desire a co-operative approach

with shark fin merchants on how to resolve this problem,'' he said.

1 September 2001 / 02:01 AM