Humane Society International is targeting Chinese restaurants in Toronto and other cities during New Year celebrations this week with its campaign against shark finning. Shark fin soup, once prized as a symbol of wealth, is a highlight at Chinese New Year festivities and major gatherings. But environmental groups say millions of sharks are dumped back into the ocean after their fins are cut off, leaving them to die a slow and painful death. Toronto filmmaker Rob Stewart, whose award-winning documentary Sharkwater chronicles the plight of the world’s sharks, said the message is slowly getting out.
Last week, food distributor Loblaws stopped selling shark fin soup at its Great Canadian Superstore outlets after a campaign by Stewart’s group Saving Sharks. - 24 Hours News Services, Thursday, January 29, 2009.

The Great Canadian Superstores (owned by Loblaws) are now selling canned shark fin soup in time for the Chinese New Year. After Sharkwater’s release in Canada, Galen Weston, the CEO of Loblaws, brought me out to dinner with his wife Alexandra, and expressed his great interest in supporting the cause…..
Selling shark fins en masse; supporting the destruction of sharks, the oceans and the ecosystems we depend on for survival is how Loblaws supports the cause. Its outrageous that its happening in our own backyard… after we already know shark populations have dropped more than 90%.
Help us fight this, and show Loblaws and Galen Weston that this was a bad decision… and lets get shark fin removed from Canadian Superstores. There’s still time to turn this around.
1. Sell your loblaws stock. Now!
2. Write letters to:
Customer_Service@loblaw.ca
service@provigo.ca
investor@loblaw.ca
shareholders@loblaw.ca
3. And call Galen Weston’s corporate office:
(416) 922-2500