China loses taste for shark fin soup

Chinese netizens yesterday 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. “Ordinary people eat starch noodles, officials use the people’s money to eat shark fin,” growled “Nova Zhou” on his microblog. China’s has legions of microbloggers on sites like Sina Corp.s Weibo, which offers a rare opportunity for open discussion, especially on the lifestyle of the communist party elite, though breaching restrictions can lead to arrest.