West Australian shark biologist, Amanda Elizabeth Morgan has created a system that allows consumers to quickly and efficiently identify restaurants that do not serve shark fin soup.
A logo placed in the front window of a restaurant indicates that the restaurant does not serve shark fin soup. Just like how the Australian Heart Foundation tick is used by consumers to identify healthy food items, and the Australian Made logo identifies products that are made in Australia, the Fin Free logo identifies restaurants that do not serve shark fin.
Fin Free Soup has also published a website listing all of the restaurants that do not serve shark fin soup. The website currently lists more than 230 Perth restaurants; however Morgan hopes to develop a national database.
Shark fin soup is considered a delicacy in China, but has been identified as a contributing factor to declining shark populations around the world. Several countries currently ban the sale and/or possession of shark fin. Although the practice of shark finning is illegal in Australian waters, it is not illegal to import shark fins and there are currently 111 restaurants in Perth that have been verified as serving shark fin soup.
