FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
AWI Congratulates Obi Sushi for
Ceasing their
Sale
of Shark Fin Soup
Washington, D.C. (August 3, 2007) –
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is pleased to learn that
Obi Sushi restaurant, located in Northern Virginia’s Reston
Town Center, has retracted their decision to sell shark fin
soup and other shark dishes.
AWI President Cathy Liss
said “This is great news and it’s a perfect example of the
importance of being an educated consumer. Other restaurants
should take note of the fact that U.S. consumers do not want
shark fin soup in their restaurants.”
On July 20th,
Obi Sushi restaurant, announced their decision to offer
shark fin soup and other shark fin dishes in “celebration”
of the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week program. Immediately
following this news, AWI wrote to Obi Sushi, asking that
they refrain from selling shark dishes because of the
inhumane manner in which the fins are acquired and the
precarious state of the targeted sharks. After a follow up
call the next day, AWI was informed of the restaurants
decision to stop selling any shark dishes in light of the
plethora of calls they received voicing conservation and
animal welfare concerns.
“This is a significant
victory and we commend Obi Sushi for their compassionate
decision,” said Serda Ozbenian, an AWI research assistant
who works on marine issues, “However, it is appalling how
many restaurants in the U.S. still sell shark fin soup, and
we will work diligently to ensure that they all stop.”
In March, AWI began a
campaign to uncover restaurants selling shark fin products
by educating restaurant owners and diners about the cruel
nature of shark finning. The AWI website (located at
www.awionline.org/oceans/Fisheries/Shark_Fin.htm) lists
names and contact information of restaurants currently
selling the soup, urging consumers to voice their distaste
to the management.
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Contact:
Serda
Ozbenian, (703) 836-4300
The Animal Welfare
Institute has worked for over 50 years to reduce the
unnecessary pain and suffering inflicted on animals by
humans. Campaigns include saving whales from commercial
slaughter, ending the use of brutal traps, developing
alternatives for and improving the treatment of animals used
for experimentation, and protecting endangered species. For
more information, please visit
www.awionline.org.
