"Maxim's is Hong Kong's largest restaurant group, with over 70 outlets in the city still serving shark fin soup.

Despite evidence suggesting the contrary, Maxim's claims it only serves soup made from blue sharks. According to scientists, however, blue shark populations have seen steep declinesxa0in recent years.xa0

Perhaps reflecting Hong Kong's role as a destructive hub for over half the world's shark fin trade, Maxim's is resisting calls to drop shark fin soup from its set menus.

This is despite recent and strong scientific evidence that blue shark populations are in deep trouble.

In the majority of cases, shark fin soup in Hong Kong is ordered from a set menu by a single person on behalf of a large group. This is usually to celebrate a special occasion such as a wedding banquet, birthday, family reunion or corporate event.

For Chinese cultural reasons, guests at shark fin set menu gatherings often feel powerless, believing they have no choice but to accept and eat the shark fin soup that has been placed in front of them by others, in order to not offend their guest. But recent surveys suggest this often goes against their own better conscience, with many Hong Kong people personally disavowing shark fin.

Maxim's has a firm responsibility to end this practice to save sharks and the marine environment by immediately removing shark fin from all its menus, especially its set menus."