Thai Court Acquits Wildlife Activists In Shark Fin Lawsuit

August 17, 2004

Release from: Associated Press

BANGKOK, Thailand — A court acquitted wildlife activists Monday who claimed shark fin soup sold in Thailand may contain mercury poison, an allegation that provoked a 110 million baht (US$2.65 million, euro2.14 million) lawsuit by local sellers of the Chinese delicacy.

Judge Chayan Thempiam of the Bangkok Southern Civil Court said defendants from the group WildAid published and distributed information based on scientific facts from government-affiliated laboratories.

"The defendants' conclusion that cooked shark fin may have mercury does not contradict the facts," Chayan said in his verdict. "Therefore, to quote and publicize such information does not violate the plaintiffs' rights."

Shark fin soup is highly popular among Chinese and is a top selling item at restaurants in Bangkok's Chinatown. A bowl of high-quality soup can cost as much as US$100 (euro80).

WildAid is based in San Francisco and has offices around the world, according to the group's Web site.

A global WildAid campaign launched in March 2001 said because sharks are predators at the top of the food chain, they ingest all toxic material, including mercury, consumed by smaller fish who feed in polluted waters.

The campaign prompted shark fin soup restaurant owners and other retailers to file the lawsuit, saying the claim damaged their businesses. They have 30 days to appeal Monday's ruling.

WildAid put its campaign on hold as a result of the litigation.

One of the defendants, Bangkok-based WildAid Executive Director Steven Galster, called the ruling a victory not only for his group but for other environmental organizations in Thailand as well.

"The ruling sends a signal that so long as we can back up our campaign with the facts, we should feel free to speak up," Galster said. "The plaintiffs' strategy was to shut us up, which unfortunately they succeeded in doing for three years. We will now resume our campaign."

Galster said shark protection would be an important topic at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which will hold a meeting in Bangkok in October.