Wonder what the Disney execs make of all the emails; another here:
OceanNEnvironment Australia
Importance: High
Attention:
Mr. Michael Eisner
Chief Executive Officer, Disney World,
Dear Mr Eisner,
That Disney World, Hong Kong has shark fin soup on its wedding banquet
menu is simply unacceptable. If the devastating facts about the losing
battle sharks are fighting to stay alive do not convince you to remove
this senseless item from your menu, then perhaps the fact that you are
making a mockery out of the Disneyland Company and a hypocrite out of
Walt himself will.
When it comes to the environment Disney’s stance has always been clear,
“from inception, the Walt Disney Company has been dedicated to
protecting our environment through conservation.” And with $6 million
from the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund going to more than 200
projects it is undeniable that the company does have an “attitude and
commitment to think and act with the environment in mind.”
That is until you decided to put shark fin soup on the menu, endorsing
this nutrition-less meal and in doing so contributing to the cruel
slaughter and eventual extinction of sharks. You obviously do not have
an attitude and commitment to think and act with the environment in mind
if you would willingly help remove this apex predator from our oceans.
Who knows what the ramifications on the ecosystem their disappearance
will have. The Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund may as well put the 21%
of the money that goes to marine projects somewhere else, because once
we have slaughtered all the sharks, will the ocean ever be the same?
And poor old Jiminy Cricket, how could you make such a mockery of him
and the thousands of children in Hong Kong that take part in Disney’s
Environmental Challenge. How would these primary school children feel if
they knew that the very company that honours them as ‘environmental
heroes’ could not stick to their own pledge to act environmentally in
the community?
The only thing you seem dedicated to is perpetuating the cultural value
of shark fin soup. So this delicacy has been eaten at weddings in Hong
Kong for years.who cares? Isn’t Disneyland a culture all of its own
where kids and kids at heart go to escape the real world? Don’t you
advertise these functions as “Disney’s fairly tale weddings?” If it is a
fairytale, why do you have to abide by the cultural norms of any
country?
If this is not excuse enough to not have it on the menu, instead of
serving this soup you could give your bride and groom
OceanNEnvironment’s ‘why we are not serving shark fin soup tonight’
cards to give out to all their guests. In doing so both you and your
guests would be acting intelligently with the environment in mind.
Cultures change, all it takes is the courage and determination of a few
to take a stand. But perhaps this courage is just not in you.
Walt Disney himself said, “Conservation.is a science whose principles
are written in the oldest code in the world, the laws of nature.” How is
it that you can go against this old code?
He also said, “the natural resources of our vast continent are not
inexhaustible,” and he was right, each year more that 100 million sharks
are slaughtered. This culling is occurring faster than sharks can
reproduce. They simply can not keep up.
And on a closing note, “but if we will use our riches wisely, if we will
protect our wildlife.these things will last us for generations to come.”
Oh how Walt must be turning in his grave.
Shame on you.
Gillian Fagan
Press Officer
OceanNEnvironment Australia