Shark fin sales halted on Alibaba.com

Moore good news for the new year and a great follow up to Yahoo! owns 40% of Alibaba.com, the largest marketplace for illegally harvested shark fins.

Shark fin sales halted on website
10:11 AM, January 8, 2009, LA Times

For years, Alibaba endorsed the wholesale slaughter of sharks and the brutal practice of finning live sharks at sea, by offering shark fins, which are used to make shark fin soup, to be listed for sale on its site.

Dozens of companies from around the world sold shark fins, a sad testament to the popularity of a dish that is especially regarded throughout Asia. Anyone could purchase the product in bulk.

Alibaba ceased allowing the sale of shark fins on Jan. 1. This was regarded by many as a major victory for shark conservation because most species of sharks are considered to be in jeopardy.

However, optimism remains guarded because the demand for shark fins remains high, so the fishing effort, presumably, has not diminished.

Here's to this small step for our sharks and more such developments in conservation this year!