Shark fin off the menu of top hotel

Marine conservation groups are happy that Hong Kong's oldest hotel will no longer serve shark's fin.

From the start of next year, The Peninsula will stop serving the iconic Chinese dish. It is the first hotel in the city to impose a complete ban.

Not only that - parent company The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd said all its hotels, including those on the mainland, would do the same to protect sharks.

The Peninsula will stop serving shark's fin from January 1. However, those who have already placed their order for shark's fin dishes for banquets next year will not be affected. 'As Asia's oldest hotel company, we also hope that our decision will inspire other hospitality companies to do the same and that our industry will play a role in helping to preserve the bio-diversity of our oceans,' the group said.

The Four Seasons said it had removed shark's fin from all its basic banquet packages but would still offer it on request. 'We will not take the initiative to sell shark fin to our customers, but we also understand that some people still regard it as a traditional Chinese custom,' said a spokeswoman.

Silvy Pun Yuen-yiu, from WWF Hong Kong, applauded The Peninsula's move and hoped more hotel groups would follow its lead.

'It is really a big step forward,' she said. 'It is especially meaningful in Hong Kong, which accounts for half of the global shark fin trade.'