Victory: Citibank Stops Offering Discounts on Shark Meat

Yesterday, Change.org started a petition targeting Citibank Singapore. The company was offering its cardholders a 15 percent discount at Imperial Court Shark Fin's Restaurant, a dining establishment that serves up endangered shark meat, among other seafood selections. Though the promotional discount was scheduled to run through the end of December, Citibank quickly responded to readers' demands and canceled the promotion, a huge victory for sustainable foodies and the world's oceans.

Citibank responded to all petition signers with an email from Gary Lee, Citibank's Customer Correspondence and Service representative. "In response to the feedback received, Citi has stopped all shark fin promotions in Singapore (with effect from 24 July 2010) as we are committed to conducting our business in line with our corporate social responsibilities," the email reads. "Citi will continue to consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of our operations and business activities on customers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment."

This is a huge victory both for eco-minded foodies and the planet's oceans. Every year, more than 100 million sharks are killed, mainly to satisfy a growing global appetite for shark fin soup. Oftentimes, sharks are brutally slaughtered through "finning," a process where fishermen pull sharks from the water, slice off their fins, then cast the living fish back into the water to die. Sharks have become so overfished that some populations have declined by as much as 99 percent. That decline is not only a problem for sharks, but for virtually all other species living in the ocean ecosystems that sharks inhabit. Sharks reign at the top of the oceanic food chain, so their presence keeps other critters' populations in check. Remove the king of the ocean and entire ecosystems get thrown dangerously out of whack.

I give Citibank credit for responding so quickly to consumers' demands. As the New York Times' Green blog recently reported, last week, the company canceled a promotion that offered Citibank Hong Kong cardholders a 15 percent discount on a shark fin and garoupa dinner at Maxim's Chinese Cuisine. The promotion removal came after Citibank received a slew of emails and feedback from Facebook users decrying the offer. Change.org's petition to Citibank Singapore garnered more than 75 signatures in fewer than 24 hours, prompting Citibank to cancel its discounts to Imperial Court Shark Fin's Restaurant, too.

The world's oceans are imperiled, but folks should take hope from the fact that a major corporation like Citibank would respond to consumer demand and stop promoting unsustainable fishing. By being choosy about what we put on our plates and taking companies to task for engaging in unsustainable seafood practices, foodies can ensure that the seas stay stocked with fish.

Photo credit: hermanusbackpackers via Flickr