It seems that, following a groundswell of public outcry that originated with Wetpixel before spreading across much of the online world (at one point a Google search for Shark Fin Soup returned Divester's page on the controversy as hit #9 of about 430,000), Amazon has finally woken up to some semblance of corporate responsibility and has pulled shark fin cartilage products from the site.

By ceasing to sell shark based products, Amazon has taken an important step in the right direction. Amazon now has an opportunity, and responsibility, to join other world class organizations in taking a public stand against trade and consumption of shark products and other endangered species. As an example, Disney took public action in response to significant outcry against their initial plan to serve shark fin soup. In a press release they stated, “After careful consideration and a thorough review process, we were not able to identify an environmental sustainable fishing source, leaving us no alternative except to remove shark's fin soup from our wedding banquet menu,''

I urge Amazon to issue a similar statement to the public stating why they will no longer carry shark fin and related products. This would further position Amazon as an environmentally responsible and conscientious organization. Furthermore, this would cause me to resume my purchases with Amazon and resume referring others to your website.

 

I have always been fascinated by sharks, and love diving with and around them. I've happily spent a lot of time, money and effort travelling to some of the more remote parts of the world to do just that.

I'm also a fully-fledged member of the 21^st Century's online commerce ecosystem and was, until recently, a fairly regular customer of Amazon.com. Until today, that is, when I discovered that Amazon.com is carrying shark fin soup through a third-party vendor, Pacific Rim Gourmet.

Shark finning is a highly controversial, emotionally charged subject. Sharks are usually apex predators, and are an important indicator of the health of an oceanic ecosystem. Sharks tend to be slow breeders, and their populations are simply unable to support the level of harvesting that is currently being carried out.

In view of the devasatation being visited upon the world's shark population, and the horrible practices used to harvest fins, Amazon should be ashamed to be carrying shark fin soup and should rectify the problem immediately by pulling all shark fin products from their catalog.

What you can do:

1. Leave feedback at Amazon's product page for Dragonfly Shark Fin Soup
2. Send e-mail to Pacific Rim Gourmet at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and write a letter of protest to:
   Pacific Rim Gourmet
   75-5660 Kopiko Street, Suite C7-210
   Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
3. Write to Amazon.com at Advantage Customer Service (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Investor Relations (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
4. Spread the word through your webpage, blog, etc.
5. Boycott Amazon.com until they comply.
6. Join our discussion in the Wetpixel.com forum.

<modified from an original post on Wetpixel.com by Eric Cheng, with my own editorial opinion added>