Ban on shark fin...how about free eat?

A CHINESE restaurant owner has caused a stir after he vowed to remove shark fins from the menu, but at the same time announced he would serve his remaining stock free.

Shangguan Junle, chairman of Haomen Jipin Restaurants in northern Shanxi Province, wrote on a microblog that he had decided to stop serving shark fin dishes from the beginning of 2012 to "protect sharks and the environment."

Yet the 34-year old entrepreneur went on to say he would not be wasteful and throw out his remaining stock. Instead, he would be serving shark fin dishes for free at all his outlets from 10am tomorrow.

His restaurants had an annual turnover of 50 million yuan (US$7.9 million) generated from shark fins, a third of the company's total turnover, Shangguan said.

The company has outlets in the provincial capital of Taiyuan and three other cities in Shanxi, a province known for its nouveau riche, thanks to coal production.

The businessman's vow of "no more shark fins" followed by the free offer was both praised for its "benevolence" and criticized for its "hypocrisy" by Internet users.

Some expressed their admiration, classifying Shangguan a role model, others found him insincere and the move a promotional stunt.

Wang Kai, an anchorman with the China Central Television, said it would be better if Shangguan sold the stock and donated the proceeds to environmental organizations.

Important banquets

Shangguan said he had anticipated a negative reaction, but that didn't matter, he said, as long as it helped end the market for shark fins.

Shark fin soup is usually served at important banquets. And as people have grown richer, the soup, once a symbol of nobility and luxury, has become more common.

Environmental protection organizations around the world say the market for shark fins has caused a decline of a species critical to maintaining a stable ecosystem. WildAid, an animal protection organization, said up to 73 million sharks are killed every year, threatening about a third of shark species with extinction.

Shangguan said he had been shocked by the French documentary "Oceans" released in China last year. It exposed the cruelty involved in shark finning. "It drove me to make the decision," he said.

In March, a group of lawmakers proposed the country's top legislature ban the trade of shark fins. Ding Liguo, executive chairman of Delong Holdings Limited, was among them. China is the biggest market for shark fins, consuming 95 percent of the world's total, said Ding, noting only legislation could stop the trade.

Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, parent company of The Peninsula Hotels, recently said it was to stop serving shark fins from January 1 at all its hotels.

Former basketball star Yao Ming also spoke out. "When the buying stops, the killing can too," he said in a video ad.