Shark fin lands Hong Kong's Disneyland in the soup

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2005

HONG KONG (AFP) — Disney has found itself in hot water over plans to serve shark's fin soup at its new Hong Kong theme park, with conservationists accusing the company of failing in its corporate responsibilities.

Consumption of shark's fin, usually in a soup, has been blamed for falling shark numbers and environmentalists have called on the US giant to set an example and pull it from their menus when Disneyland opens in September.

Activists have threatened to mount a global boycott of the brand if Disney insists on serving the dish -- something the company says is standard practice among Chinese restaurants and five-star hotels in Hong Kong.

But the dish's popularity in the Chinese territory and its secure place in the gastronomic tradition of southern...