By Sophie Song - Popularity of shark fin has dropped considerably in mainland China owing to efforts of environmental groups and the government’s austerity measures. Exports of shark fins from Hong Kong to the mainland dropped by almost 90 percent last year.
Government data from 2012 revealed that the Hong Kong market for fins shrank by 50 to 70 percent. The latest data from the World Wildlife Fund - Hong Kong showed a continuation in the downward trend. In addition to the drop in exports to the mainland, overall imports of shark fins to Hong Kong dropped 35 percent last year from 8,285 tonnes to 5,412 tonnes, compared to 2012, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday.
Mainland China is formerly Hong Kong’s biggest re-export market, but fell to fourth place last year, importing just 113,973 kilograms down from 1.2 million kilograms in 2012.
"We were very surprised when we saw this figure as the mainland has traditionally been Hong Kong's biggest re-export market," said WWF-Hong Kong senior program director Tracy Tsang Chui-chi, according to the South China Morning Post.
The drop could have something to do with China’s ongoing austerity campaign in 2013, which has pointedly cracked down on extravagance among party and government officials. In December of last year, the central government officially banned the consumption of shark fin soup at government events.
"We do not rule out the possibility that the central government's anti-corruption measures could have played a role in the big drop in re-exports,” Tsang added.
Efforts from environmental groups like WildAid and public luminaries like former NBA basketball player Yao Ming have made a great deal of difference for sharks, as well. Roughly one-third of Hong Kong’s shark fin shops have closed down in recent years due to pressure from environmentalists, said Ho Siu-chai, chairman of the Hong Kong Shark Fin Trade Merchants Association.
The Peninsula Hotels and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, both prominent luxury hotel groups in Asia, have removed shark fin soup from their menus. Cathay Pacific, Air New Zealand, Korean Air, Fiji Airways and other airlines have also banned shark fins from their planes.
Sharks still face pressure though. In January, the Hong Kong-based conservation group WildLifeRisk published a report on a factory that processes around 600 whale sharks annually, calling it the world’s biggest slaughterhouse for the endangered species.