(Reuters) – Chinese netizens on Wednesday bit back at a government decision to ban serving shark fin soup at state banquets within three years, mocking it as a timid step by leaders who spend lavishly on other delicacies and are aloof from common concerns.
“You have to wait three years to do this?” demanded Wu Yaxue, a psychologist in Beijing, on his microblog account.
“Given the way Chinese civil servants eat, in three years you won’t need to enforce this ban; the shark fin will be all gone.”
Shark fin can sell for up to $600 per pound, increasing the practice of fishermen sawing fins and leaving the ocean predator to bleed to death. Environmental groups have called for an end to the eating of shark fin soup which is often served at special occasions by Chinese communities worldwide.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/04/uk-china-sharkfin-ban-idUSLNE86301T20120704
