I HAVE STOPPED ORDERING SHARK'S FIN FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS AND FEEL SO GOOD ABOUT IT.
AND DO STAY AT FAIRMONT HOTELS SINCE THEY HAVE BANNED SHARK'S FIN!
Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai. Located on the world famous Bund, this historic hotel is worthy of your patronage, as well as Waldorf Astoria down the Bund!
Fairmont Yongcheng Lake hotel
Fairmont Singapore; the Sze Chuan Court Chinese restaurant's private dining room
See? The variety is endless so do not order shark's fin! This is Fairmont Beijing Lunar 8 restaurant
When I was young, I assumed shark's fin soup was the height of imperial cuisine but now I know it is the pits of food, trawling the bottom of the lowest of low-class food. Maybe 'food' is too good a word to describe shark's fin soup.
Most Chinese (we should be ashamed of being Chinese as only this race gorge on shark's fin) order shark's fin soup (with crab, crab roe etc) simply because it is seen as prestigious, luxurious, high class and of course expensive. The most expensive and hence 'high class' and desirable in any menu is shark's fin.
The price tag is simply due to the relative difficulty of catching sharks which is a tad tougher than harvesting cucumbers, let's say.
However, sharks are so cruelly treated the nastiest humans may not do the same to their worst enemies. Once caught, the fins are sliced off and the sharks are tossed back into the sea as shark meat has never been the flavour of the month.
The sharks are still alive and suffer tremendously as they slowly thrash, sink and die, often being eaten by other sharks and predators while they are STILL ALIVE.
It is akin to chopping off a hand or leg of a human and throwing him into the sea and letting him die a slow, excruciatingly painful and horrendous death. Worse, we all know what saltwater do to wounds--- the saying 'adding salt to the wound' says it all!
Why order shark's at all?
If it lengthens and strengthens your penis, go ahead.
If it tightens your loose, flabby and flapping-in-the-wind vagina, order a second bowl.
It if makes you younger, remove wrinkles and clears pimples, make it a dozen bowls.
If it prolongs your life and cures cancer and regenerates hair loss, eat shark's fin daily.
Sadly it does nothing of the above.
You are just contributing to the largescale slaughter of endangered sharks.
Mind you, I have no love for sharks which do kill humans but then again, humans kill millions of fellow humans throughout history.
I have no intention to swim near sharks or poke my pedicured toe into shark-infested water but I insist on leaving them alone to do what nature intend them to do---prey on other smaller creatures just as rich, powerful humans prey on weaker ones.
I will NEVER order shark's fin soup in any restaurant but not being a hypocrite, I occasionally STILL EAT shark's fin soup if I attend a dinner and it has already been pre-ordered. If a bowl of shark's fin soup is placed before me, I do eat it.
However, the host should STOP ordering shark's fin.
Ditto for hotels and restaurants. In fact, fake, manmade shark's fin soup should be served. In many tests, diners could not tell the difference! This is the best solution.
I CURSE everyone involved in the shark killing industry and may their evil karma result in their family members suffering some disasters. After all, this is SO UNNECESSARY as shark's fin does nothing for our health, radiant complexion or sexual libido.
It is not as if we are starving to death and shark's fin is the only food available on this planet. Unlike chicken or cow, we cannot farm sharks and breed them in huge aquariums. If this is possible, I am all for shark's fin.
And so I thank and congratulate Fairmont hotels for their compassion and understanding as they have banned this so-called 'delicacy' from all their restaurants globally.
FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS
REMOVES SHARK FIN FROM MENUS
Move supports the luxury hotel brand’s Sustainable Seafood policy
HONG KONG, July 18, 2012 – Fairmont Hotels & Resorts today announced that it has formally removed shark fin from all of its hotel menus in Asia, effective immediately. The move, which also spans the luxury hotel brand’s global culinary operations, is in line with Fairmont’s industry-leading commitment to environmental stewardship and supports an earlier pledge to offer sustainable seafood choices in an effort to conserve precious marine species.
“We're proud to be at the forefront of the movement to stop serving shark fin. It's a logical step for Fairmont, given our decades long work in greening our hotels and our focus on providing guests with meals that are not only good for them, but also good for the planet,” said Jean Michel Offe, Fairmont's vice-president, food & beverage. “Our hotels are constantly seeking ways to be more ethical in their menu choices and have removed other at risk species under the guidance of reputable seafood watch organizations. Simply put, it's the right thing to do.”
As part of luxury hotel brand’s Sustainable Seafood initiative, which was launched in 2009, Fairmont's hotels in Asia - Fairmont Singapore, Fairmont Beijing, Fairmont Yangcheng Lake and the iconic Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai – will no longer feature shark fin on hotel menus including restaurant, in-room and banquet service meals. These hotels will continue to highlight alternative options on their menus, and seek ways to educate colleagues and guests on sustainable food choices that help conserve marine resources.
Fairmont Singapore, which removed shark fin soup from its menus in 2009, has used the World Wildlife Fund's Singapore Seafood Guide as a directive when selecting seafood products. The hotel's menus feature other equally sumptuous soups, including mud crab, which is considered a flavourful substitute for shark fin, or dishes like oysters and green lipped mussels.
Looking to put its best ‘green’ foot forward, Fairmont Beijing also took a progressive stance when it became Fairmont’s first hotel in China to remove shark fin, an ingredient that is mostly flavorless but has deep cultural and traditional significance, from its menus.
To achieve texture and consistency characteristics similar to shark fin, while also enhancing the flavor of dishes, Chinese Chefs at Fairmont are using alternatives like lobster, crab and scallops, and have received very positive feedback from customers. Each hotel is also working closely with local partners to further educate guests on the environmental benefits of choosing sustainable alternatives.
In 2009, Fairmont removed two at-risk species, Bluefin Tuna and Chilean Sea Bass, from all hotel menus worldwide. At that time, hotels across the portfolio began to align locally with reputable seafood watch organizations, and all seafood purchases are now made with the guidance and consultation of these groups. Hotels work in partnership with local suppliers who provide fish that are resilient to fishing pressure and harvested in ways that limit damage to marine or aquatic habitats.
This ensures guests are offered a comprehensive range of sustainable seafood options, which are clearly identified on hotel menus, making it easier for travelers to make informed food choices. In addition to making responsible decisions regarding seafood, hotels also purchase local, organic and sustainable food items whenever possible.
For more than 20 years, Fairmont’s Green Partnership program has been the company’s award-winning environmental program focused on minimizing the impact of hotel operations on the environment.
In addition to publishing "The Green Partnership Guide", a “going green” handbook used by its hotels and others in the hospitality industry, initiatives include recycling and organic waste diversion in hotel kitchens, a green conferencing solution dubbed Eco-Meet, creating rooftop herb gardens and bee apiaries at properties, and redistributing gently used goods and food to those in need.
Fairmont was also the first luxury hotel group to address climate change by pledging to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emission worldwide. As a member of the World Wildlife Fund’s Climate Savers program, Fairmont has pledged to reduce operational CO2 emissions from its existing portfolio of hotels to 20% below 2006 levels by 2013.
For more information on Fairmont’s Green Partnership program and the company's industry leading environmental initiatives, please visit fairmont.com/environment.
ABOUT FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, which arrives in destinations as diverse as Jaipur, Kyiv and Manila in 2012, is a celebrated collection of more than 60 luxury properties around the globe, including Shanghai's Fairmont Peace Hotel, The Plaza in New York and Makkah Clock Royal Tower in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The luxury brand's distinctive hotels offer a sense of heritage and sophistication, warm, engaging service and culturally rich experiences.
A community and environmental leader, Fairmont is also recognized internationally for its responsible tourism practices and award-winning Green Partnership program. Fairmont is owned by FRHI Holdings Limited, a leading global hotel company with over 100 hotels under the Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel branded luxury private residences club, whole-ownership residences and serviced residences properties. For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit fairmont.com.
Become a fan of Fairmont. Join our online communities at everyonesanoriginal.com, facebook.com/fairmonthotels, and twitter.com/fairmonthotels. For career opportunities, visit facebook.com/fairmontcareers.
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1 comment:
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