Tesco Gains Shark Fin Conscience

After contacting the Shark Trust to find out if Tesco was still selling shark fin, i received the following email:

Following intervention by the Shark Trust retail giant Tesco withdraws shark fins from sales in its Thailand stores.

In October 2008 the Shark Trust was alerted by concerned divers that Tesco stores in Thailand were selling shark products including shark fin. Following a meeting in late March with Tesco senior staff the Shark Trust is pleased to confirm that Tesco have withdrawn shark fin from sale in their Thai stores.

“The shark fin trade encourages unsustainable mortality and unacceptable levels of waste and it is imperative that large retailers like Tesco appreciate the impact of the fin trade on shark populations,” said Ali Hood, Director of Conservation for the Shark Trust. “The Trust has met with Tesco and presented a compelling case for the cessation of sale of shark fin in their stores, we see Tesco’s agreement to cease the sale of fins in their Thailand stores as a promising start.”

Studies demonstrate that up to three quarters* of the fins entering the fin trade originate from unreported sources, likely from sharks which have been finned: the fins removed and carcasses dumped over board, often still alive. It is the sheer extent of the shark finning activities that make it near impossible to trace the provenance of fins back to managed fisheries, meaning shark fin products sold by large retailers are highly likely to have come from unmanaged or illegal fisheries.

In 2005 the Walt Disney Company was faced with a similar challenge when they proposed to serve shark fin soup in their new Hong Kong theme park. Working with other conservation NGOs the Shark Trust succeeded in persuading Disney that the sale of shark fin products did not conform to their environmental policy – shark fin was removed from the menu.

The Shark Trust is encouraged by Tesco’s willingness to meet and discuss the wider issue of the sale of shark products in their other Asian markets and will assist Tesco in addressing their sourcing policy. However, the Shark Trust will continue to advocate for a removal from sale of all shark fin products.