Cempaka Maritime, Marine and Fisheries: Shark fin goes off the menu at Peninsula hotels

"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) - (Text version)

“2011 and Beyond” - What you are seeing, and why - Jan 16, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Text version)

"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013.

They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

(Live Kryon Channelings was given 7 times within the United Nations building.)

Kryon Q&A

Question: Dear Kryon: I live in Spain. I am sorry if I will ask you a question you might have already answered, but the translations of your books are very slow and I might not have gathered all information you have already given. I am quite concerned about abandoned animals. It seems that many people buy animals for their children and as soon as they grow, they set them out somewhere. Recently I had the occasion to see a small kitten in the middle of the street. I did not immediately react, since I could have stopped and taken it, without getting out of the car. So, I went on and at the first occasion I could turn, I went back to see if I could take the kitten, but it was to late, somebody had already killed it. This happened some month ago, but I still feel very sorry for that kitten. I just would like to know, what kind of entity are these animals and how does this fit in our world. Are these entities which choose this kind of life, like we do choose our kind of Human life? I see so many abandoned animals and every time I see one, my heart aches... I would like to know more about them.

Answer: Dear one, indeed the answer has been given, but let us give it again so you all understand. Animals are here on earth for three (3) reasons.

(1) The balance of biological life. . . the circle of energy that is needed for you to exist in what you call "nature."

(2) To be harvested. Yes, it's true. Many exist for your sustenance, and this is appropriate. It is a harmony between Human and animal, and always has. Remember the buffalo that willingly came into the indigenous tribes to be sacrificed when called? These are stories that you should examine again. The inappropriateness of today's culture is how these precious creatures are treated. Did you know that if there was an honoring ceremony at their death, they would nourish you better? Did you know that there is ceremony that could benefit all of humanity in this way. Perhaps it's time you saw it.

(3) To be loved and to love. For many cultures, animals serve as surrogate children, loved and taken care of. It gives Humans a chance to show compassion when they need it, and to have unconditional love when they need it. This is extremely important to many, and provides balance and centering for many.

Do animals know all this? At a basic level, they do. Not in the way you "know," but in a cellular awareness they understand that they are here in service to planet earth. If you honor them in all three instances, then balance will be the result. Your feelings about their treatment is important. Temper your reactions with the spiritual logic of their appropriateness and their service to humanity. Honor them in all three cases.

China calls for peaceful settlement of maritime disputes

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Shark fin goes off the menu at Peninsula hotels

The move will affect the group's nine hotels, including those in China and Hong Kong, the center of the global shark fin market

guardian.co.uk, Justin McCurry in Osaka, Thursday 24 November 2011

73 million sharks are killed yearly for shark fin soup.
Photograph: Paul Hilton/EPA

Environmental groups are claiming a significant victory in the campaign to save the global shark population, after the Peninsula hotel group said it would stop serving shark fin dishes from January.

Peninsula, one of Asia's most prestigious hotel chains, said on Monday it would no longer sell the dishes, considered a delicacy in Hong Kong and other parts of the region, "in recognition of the threat facing the global shark population and in line with the company's sustainability vision".

The move will affect the group's nine hotels, including those in China and Hong Kong, the center of the global shark fin market.

Hong Kong handles between 50% and 80% of the global trade in shark fins, bringing in catches from more than 100 countries, with Spain its biggest supplier. In 2006 it took delivery of more than 10,000 tonnes worth US$276m, according to the UN food and agricultural organisation.

Most is consumed in Hong Kong and Taiwan, but also in mainland provinces such as Guangdong, where its consumption has become a status symbol among China's nouveau riche.

Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, which owns the Peninsula group, said it would honour requests for shark fin soup made before 21 November, for consumption after 1 January.

The dish, which comprises pieces of rehydrated shark fin in a rich broth, is a popular staple at wedding parties and formal banquets, with a serving for 12 people costing around US$138.

In Hong Kong districts such as Sheung Wan, which specialises in dried seafood, premium shark fin can fetch up to US$1,280 per kilo. One Sheung Wan wholesaler recently told the Guardian, however, that the market price had dropped by about 20% in the past two months, partly as a result of the campaign.

About 73 million sharks are killed every year, and the appetite for their fins in places such as Hong Kong has taken one in three shark species to the brink of extinction.

"By removing shark fin from our menus, we hope that our decision can contribute to preserving the marine ecosystem for the world's future generations," the Peninsula group's chief executive, Clement Kwok, said in a statement.

"As Asia's oldest hotel company, we also hope that our decision will inspire other hospitality companies to do the same."

Other luxury hotel chains have attempted to reduce shark fin consumption by offering alternative menus for wedding banquets, sometimes with inducements such as a free night's accommodation for the newlyweds.

The push to remove the delicacy – prized more for its glutinous texture than for its taste – has gathered momentum after a slow start, according to World Wildlife Fund, which has seen 97 caterers and hotels sign up to its alternative shark-free menu in the past year.

A 2010 survey of eating habits by Bloom Association, a marine conservation group, found that despite the dish's central place in Cantonese cuisine, attitudes were shifting, particularly among younger people.

According to Bloom, 66% of Hong Kong diners said they were uncomfortable with the idea of eating an endangered species, and more than three-quarters said they would not mind if it was removed from banquet menus.

The Peninsula announcement came as the European commission called for a global ban on shark finning – the practice of cutting off a shark's fin and throwing its body back into the sea – by EU fishermen. EU countries are responsible for about 14% – the second-largest share – of the global shark catch.

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