Starwood to ban shark’s fin in all hotels

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will no longer procure shark’s fin for any of its nearly 1,200 hotels or 1,300 restaurants starting from July. “Our worldwide ban on shark’s fin represents an important, environmentally responsible step to aid in the collective goal of marine preservation,” said Frits van Paasschen, president and chief executive officer of Starwood, who reinforced the company’s commitment to sustainability. The global hotel operator has worked with its property owners and partners over the past two years to remove shark’s fin from its a la carte menus (although it would still be available for banquets if requested). The effort has led to a 79 per cent reduction in overall purchases of the controversial Chinese delicacy. Now, Starwood has taken one step further to put a total ban on shark's fin. The move has been applauded by Peter Seligmann, chief executive, chairman and co-founder of Conservation International, who said: “Starwood's company-wide ban on shark fin in each and every one of their properties sends a powerful signal that businesses can be positive change agents in the effort to ensure the responsible use of our planet's natural capital." The ban is in line with the “Eat Local, Think Global” pillar of the company’s global corporate responsibility strategy, which also prohibits whales and sea turtles from all of its menus. Other hotel groups which have banned shark’s fin include Hilton Worldwide (see here), Fairmont (see here), Shangri-La and The Peninsula. For more information, visit www.starwoodhotels.com Clement Huang