70pc cut back on shark fin, as survey reveals change in attitudes to endangered species
16pc stopped eating the delicacy in the past five years, and 90pc want a ban on sales to protect rare animals as attitudes to wildlife change
Hong Kong is witnessing a pronounced shift in attitudes towards the consumption of shark fin, with almost 70 per cent of residents having reduced or entirely stopped eating the traditional delicacy in the past five years, according to a study.
People also want the government to do more to crack down on the trade in endangered animals, including sharks, with more than 90 per cent saying the authorities should prohibit the sale of products that involve killing threatened species.
"These results show that demand in Hong Kong is decreasing, which is very good news for sharks and the overall ocean health they help to maintain," said Imogen Zethoven, director of The Pew Charitable Trusts' shark conservation campaign.
"We know that approximately 100 million sharks are killed each year in commercial fisheries, mostly to meet the demand for shark fins. Reducing consumption will save more sharks."
Shark fin soup has been a hallmark of luxury Chinese dining for centuries. However, demand for the delicacy has spiked in recent years alongside increasing wealth on the mainland.
Although countries such as Brazil have also seen growing demand for shark meat, Hong Kong and the mainland remain the largest consumer markets for the animal's fin, Zethoven said.
The study - conducted by the Social Science Research Centre at the University of Hong Kong and based on a random sample of more than 1,000 adults - found that in the past five years nearly 16 per cent of Hongkongers questioned had completely stopped eating shark fin.