Citibank bites off more than it can chew
Hong Kong-based shark lovers unite to force bank to backtrack on shark’s fin promotion.In a statement issued earlier today Citi Asia Pacific, Citibank’s regional arm, said that it “has stopped all shark fin related promotions in Hong Kong and will be stopping this in all its markets in Asia Pacific with immediate effect.”
The climbdown comes after a campaign orchestrated by anti-shark finning campaigners based in Hong Kong.
Having noted the banking group’s recent marketing blitz around shark’s fin, Rachel Vickerstaff of HK Shark Foundation (HKSF) fired off an email protest to the company. Another of the group’s members passed it on to Clement Li, who set up Facebook group to garner support (要求 Citibank HK 撤回美心魚翅餐推廣活動 Stop the shark-fin soup promotion!).
Within a matter of hours, hundreds had expressed their outrage. At least one long-term customer, Rachel Pang, cancelled her Citibank credit card, despite having been an account holder for ten years.
The swiftly mounting opposition resulted in an about-face from Citi in Hong Kong, with their promotion being ended early.
Then a member of Li’s Facebook group noticed that a similar promotion was still running in Singapore.
Once again, HKSF, via Director Claire Garner, mobilised its members and wider networks and earlier today came the statement from the bank that it had stopped all shark’s fin promotions.
In response, Garner said "HKSF is delighted with Citibank's decision to reinforce its own corporate policy on environmental sustainability and, accordingly, stop all shark-fin promotions in the APAC region. However, this is just a start - we hope that Citibank will now ensure that sharks fin is not served at any corporate functions or client entertainment and that the brand becomes a proactive supporter of the cause"
HKSF and other likeminded groups have recently been turning up the heat on the issue of shark finning and there are some in Hong Kong who believe public thinking is now moving towards opposing it.
Andy Cornish, Conservation Director of WWF-HK, wrote in today’s South China Morning Post: “Those of us who do not regularly read the Chinese media may not appreciate the degree to which the tide is turning in favour of shark conservation. A number of high-profile events and media attention over recent months in Hong Kong, the shark fin capital of the world, is resulting in a major shift in public opinion.”
About HKSF
The HK Shark Foundation (HKSF) is part of MyOcean, a registered Hong Kong charity dedicated to marine conservation. HKSF exists to raise awareness about the unsustainable pressures on shark populations around the world, in particular the pressure brought about by the practice of shark finning.
Sharks are apex predators and therefore a crucial part of the marine food chain. Excessive demand for shark products has contributed to the rapid decline of many species, with several nearing extinction. Removing sharks from our oceans holds unknown consequences for the balance of marine ecosystems.
At least 50% of the world's shark fin is traded through Hong Kong, making HKSF wellplaced to make a difference. To know more, or to find out how you can help, go to www.hksharkfoundation.org, email marketing@hksharkfoundation.org or look up HK Shark Foundation on Facebook.
To view PDF file showing the Citibank offer, Download here
Dragon Boat Festival - volunteers needed
Island Paddle Club are kindly hosting HKSF at their Deep Water Bay regatta (May 9th) and carrying our logo on their shirts this season. We'll also be at Lamma Dragon Boat Festival (May 16th). Finally Buzz Dragon Boat team will be paddling under our banner. We'd love some volunteers to man the booths and give out leaflets etc. If you're available, please email Alan.Au@alumni.duke.edu. Otherwise, just come down and say hello, meet the people behind HKSF and sign up to our mail out to keep abreast of latest news and events supporting shark conservation!Fundraising Junk
RachelVickerstaff@gmail.com. HKSF's first fundraising junk on Friday 23rd April was a sailaway success. Over $6000 was raised to cover the cost of translating our site into Chinese, plus promotional banners and more factsheets for our presence at the Dragon Boating festival.T-shirt design competition
Thank you to everyone who entered the HKSF T-shirt design competition. A winning design has now been selected and we're looking into getting it produced and available for sale. More info to follow shortly.‘Fin’, just a beginning
The short documentary film ‘Fin’ won the 'People's Choice' award at the 'I Shot Hong Kong' film festival screenings, held in early July.‘Fin’ traces the chain of events that leads from the finning of sharks in oceans around the world to the dinner tables of Asia, and is designed to educate consumers so they are able to make the more sustainable choice not to eat shark’s fin.
Film-maker Alex Hofford and photographer Paul Hilton spent three years amassing footage and photos from the beaches of Mozambique and the marketplaces of South Africa, Yemen and Dubai - as well as the shark fin shops of Sheung Wan in Hong Kong.
Their aim was to show the unsustainable way that sharks are being harvested to feed demand from chiefly Chinese consumers for a dish which appears on the menu at many special occasions, especially wedding banquets.
Documentary film-makers Josefina Bergsten, Andy Limond and Claire Garner, used this footage as the backbone of ‘Fin’, adding interviews with marine biologists, several shark fin dealers and a wedding planner, who talked of how couples can be led to consider not requesting the dish for their big day.
Attendees of the ‘I Shot Hong Kong’ festival voted for their favourite short film out of twelve finalists, each no more than 15 minutes long. For more details of the festival, go to www.ishothongkong.com.
The filmmakers plan to turn this short into a longer feature, and will also release stills shot on location in a book called 'Man & Shark' which will be available this year.Hong Kong’s dragon boaters dig deep for shark conservation
With the dragon boat season in full swing, Hong Kong’s paddlers are getting behind a growing citywide movement to promote shark conservation. On June 16 in Stanley, one of the biggest events on the local racing calendar will give the public a chance to add their support to the cause.At the 11th Deep Water Bay Dragon Boat Races, hosted by the HK Island Paddle Club (HKIPC) on May 9, 2010 and also at the Lamma 500 Dragon Boat Festival, Hong Kong Shark Foundation (HKSF) volunteers sold ‘Save the sharks’ wristbands and gathered signatures in their fight against the unsustainable harvesting of sharks around the world. Many of those sharks are consumed as shark’s fin soup in Hong Kong.
Said Julie Devine, chairman of HKIPC: “We are delighted to have HKSF as a sponsor for our regatta. We believe that by working together, we can get the recreational water sports community in Hong Kong behind sustainable fishing of sharks and other marine life. To enjoy our seas, we must first protect them.”
The Hong Kong public will get another chance to show their support for such protection at the Sun Life Stanley International Dragon Boat Festival on June 16. The biggest beach party of the year, this event draws a big outdoors-loving crowd, a receptive audience for a message about shark conservation.
The dragon boat events also bracket World Oceans Day, held on June 8, that was marked across Hong Kong with a number of high-profile events dedicated to shark conservation, including the premiere of the award-winning documentary, Sharkwater.
The realisation that Hong Kong people can be a major force for change on this issue is growing. The support shown by the dragon boating community, in past events and on June 16 will further spread the word that together, by saying no to shark’s fin, we can help conserve these predators that are so important to the balance of the ocean ecosystem.
Notes to editors:
The HK Shark Foundation (HKSF) is part of MyOcean, a registered Hong Kong charity dedicated to marine conservation. HKSF exists to raise awareness about the unsustainable pressures on shark populations around the world, in particular the pressure brought about by the practice of shark finning.
Sharks are apex predators and therefore a crucial part of the marine food chain. Excessive demand for shark products, particularly shark fin soup, has contributed to the rapid decline of many species, with several nearing extinction. Removing sharks from our oceans holds unknown consequences for the balance of marine ecosystems.
At least 50% of the world's shark fin is traded through Hong Kong, making HKSF well-placed to make a difference. To know more, or to find out how you can help, go to www.hksharkfoundation.org or look up HK Shark Foundation on Facebook.
