Wed, 12/08/2009 - 8:49am

Today I witnessed a rare protest in Hong Kong against the cruel practice of shark finning.

In fact... I believe it to be a first in this city. And that honour goes to Ran Elfassy of 'Shark Rescue'!

Shark Rescue are demanding the Hong Kong Government take the lead in calling for an end to shark finning, which is completely unsustainable. They are also protesting to highlight a recent International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) report that said that 32% of open ocean sharks are now threatened with extinction.

The issue has been rumbling along in Hong Kong for quite a while now. First there was Disney. Then the Universities took shark fin soup off their banquet menus. Now the Hong Kong Shark Foundation has come along, but they are still getting their act together. Expect a splash later in the year.

But today was the first time I have ever seen or heard of a protest being staged at 'ground zero' of the problem, Des Voeux Road, Sheung Wan, that is to say on what the Hong Kong Tourism Board like to call 'Dried Seafood Street'. More like 'Oceanic Apocalypse Street'. I've heard a lot of pub talk about parading a bloodied papier maché shark through the streets of Sheung Wan, or some such stunt, but no one ever follows through with it.

The traders were not exactly happy with Elfassy's presence, although he did look rather fetching in his silvertip suit.

"Who the hell are you? And why are you in my shop?"

A one man protest pauses for thought by a Whale Shark fin.

It's great to see someone in Hong Kong finally doing something tangible about this issue. Elfassy got a few bad looks, but also some encouragement.

So much talk, and not enough action. Congratulations to Ran Elfassy at Shark Rescue.

PHOTO CREDITS: SHARK RESCUE