Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³»­

Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Shark fin ban dictatorial and autocratic

To the editor: Re: "Popular Chinatown restaurant drops shark fin soup," Oct. 26. The controversy of shark fin soup is a hot topic. I'm somehow depressed to see the deep divisions caused by this issue.

To the editor:

Re: "Popular Chinatown restaurant drops shark fin soup," Oct. 26.

The controversy of shark fin soup is a hot topic. I'm somehow depressed to see the deep divisions caused by this issue. I'm totally against the inhumane treatment of the sharks in the process of obtaining their fins, but I have reservations about banning shark fin.

In a democratic society we are entitled to the freedom to choose our own lifestyles. The notion of legislating laws and regulations to ban shark fin seems dictatorial and autocratic. I'm fed up by the political bickering of politicians and the public in general and I'm not dismissing any speculation that certain individuals hope to capitalize on this issue.

When the more pressing urgency is to counteract the environmental damages we have done to our planet - i.e. the damage of the ozone layer and the greenhouse effect - I ask is it unholy and too much to ask for the right and freedom to choose to eat shark fin soup? Is it unholy and sinful to ask people to leave the carnivore, frugivore/ fruitarian, herbivore, omnivore, vegetarian, epicure, gourmand and ascetic in us alone and allow people the free will to choose?

Stephen Chiu, Vancouver

$(function() { $(".nav-social-ft").append('
  • '); });