Deliveroo has committed to removing all shark fin dishes from its platform to address the serious threat of shark fishing on the environment. Supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), this move by Deliveroo signals a growing momentum among Singapore’s F&B industry to protect ocean resources by phasing out shark consumption.
Over 70 million sharks are killed to satisfy people’s demand for shark-based dishes every year. Singapore has been identified as the world’s second largest trader for shark fin by value, according to a 2017 joint report by TRAFFIC and WWF.
Sharks are being removed from the ocean faster than they can replace themselves. One in four sharks and rays are threatened with extinction and for some shark populations, declines of over 90% have been reported.
In response to this, Deliveroo has now taken action to remove 150 shark fin dishes from its platform in Singapore, from 34 different restaurants, and commits to having no such dishes on the platform in future.
The company has committed to taking shark fin and any related shark products out of its physical and digital menus. Its pledge also makes clear that the company “will not serve it at special request on a case to case basis”.
“This commitment by F&B establishments is crucial to saving sharks and the ecosystems that depend on them. As sustainable options do not exist for sharks, halting consumer demand is the only solution today. Deliveroo’s new commitment takes Singapore a significant step closer to closing shark product demand for good,” Kim Stengert, Chief Strategic Communication and External Relations at WWF-Singapore said.
Sustainable food production and protecting endangered species is something Deliveroo believes in and knows to be important to consumers in Singapore. A 2016 survey by WWF-Singapore has found that 8 out of 10 of people in Singapore have stopped ordering shark fin, citing shark protection and environmental concerns as key reasons. However, Deliveroo is keen to continue raising awareness of this issue amongst consumers.
General Manager Deliveroo Singapore, Sid Shanker, said: “This is an important step. Deliveroo wants all the restaurants we work with to promote sustainable food production, and that must include protecting endangered species. We are pleased to have joined WWF’s commitment in taking action against serving shark products. We will work with WWF to see what more we can do in this area. We are committed to being the definitive food company with the widest choice for consumer, but that should go hand in hand with protecting our natural environment. Great food shouldn’t cost the earth.’