Our Mission & History 使命和歷史
History & Success | Founded in 2009, Shark Truth is a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to promoting awareness, education and action for sharks and around shark fin issues. Through our unique Happy Hearts Love Sharks wedding contest, 65 couples have pledged to protect sharks by not serving shark fin at their banquets, totalling to 9,500 bowls of shark fin soup diverted being from consumption (approximately 950 sharks).
歷史與成就| Shark Truth成立於 2009年，是一個基層非營利組織，致力於促進的鯊魚和魚翅相關話題的意識，教育和行動。通過我們獨特的開心愛鯊魚 婚宴比賽，已經有65對結婚新人承諾通過不在婚宴上提供魚翅食品作為宴品來保護鯊魚，總共有9,500碗鯊魚湯被拒絕消費（約950條鯊魚）.
Audience & Strategy | We engage communities through education, outreach and have a specific focus on the 18-35 consumer audience. Our strategy is to empower consumers to Stop the Soup by using a culturally informed approach and creating opportunities to position individuals to be leaders in change. Our long-term goal is to stop the consumption of shark fin in Canada in five to ten years.
受眾與策略| 我們通過教育和展示以接觸社區，特別針對18-35歲的消費人士。我們的策略是通過文化告知的方法和創造機會予消費者，讓消費者自身擔任領導的角色，停止魚翅湯和創造改變。我們的長遠目標是在5到10年停止加拿大的魚翅消費。
Shark Truth’s home base is in Vancouver, BC, Canada but our reach is international. Our philosophy is to think global, act local and hence, we collaborate with conservation groups around the world.
Shark Truth的大本營位於加拿大BC省溫哥華，但是我們的目標是國際性的。我們的哲學是“全球思考，地方行動”，所以，我們與各地的自然保護團體合作。
Read the story of how Founder, Claudia Li was inspired to start Shark Truth in Solutions Journal here:
請閱讀我們創辦人Claudia Li 的故事，瞭解她是受到如何的啓發，因此創辦Shark Truth。 點擊此處閱讀全文：
Shark fin soup is the “food of the wealthy,” elders used to say. I first encountered the dish when I was young, accompanying my mom on one of her business dinners at an upscale Chinese restaurant. I remember her dressing me up for what I was told would be a “special dinner.” The chairs in the restaurant were cushioned and embroidered—I was so small my feet couldn’t reach the floor. She told me I was going to be eating something very special and expensive. It turned out to be shark fin soup. When I tried it, it just seemed like thickened chicken broth in a fancy bowl. The fins provided no flavor, but lots of status.
魚翅湯是長者們常提到的“富人食品”。我第一次接觸這種食品是在我小時候，與媽媽一起在中式高級餐廳參加一個商務晚宴。 我記得她將我打扮得漂漂亮亮，并告知我將是一個“特別的晚宴”。餐廳的刺繡式的椅子放著坐墊—我因個子太小腳還無法踩到地面。她告訴我，我們將會吃到一些十分特別和昂貴的食物。原來那特別又昂貴的食物就是魚翅湯。當我嘗試這道菜，它的味道沒什麼特別，等同于濃雞湯放在一個精緻的碗裡罷了。這魚翅并沒有任何味道，只是名氣大而已···
…
Like others, I used to argue that the removal of shark fin soup from Chinese cuisine would mean the loss of an important part of Chinese heritage. But I consider myself no less Chinese now that I’ve stopped drinking the soup. If anything, taking shark fin off the menu can help preserve Chinese culture and communities by helping our oceans to thrive.
就像其他人一樣，我曾經認為將魚翅湯從中式料理中剔除等於讓中國傳統文化的重要組成部份之一流失。但是我認為，雖然我拒絕使用魚翅湯，不意味著我脫離了任何中華文化。將魚翅湯從菜單中剔除不僅可以保護中華文化和中文社區，還可以保護我們的海洋生態。
You can read our Annual Report for 2010.
你可以閱讀我們2010的年度報告。
Our Directors 主理人員
Claudia Li, Shark Truth Founder
Claudia Li，Shark Truth 創辦人
When Claudia founded Shark Truth in June 2009, she had eaten shark fin soup at a family dinner banquet a few weeks before. “I had a lot of shark fin growing up – probably at least fifty bowls. It wasn’t until I watched the documentary Sharkwater that I realized how wasteful and ecologically destructive shark finning was – I had no idea. I knew at that moment that we had to take action to protect sharks.”Claudia holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University with concentrations in Marketing, International Business and an Honours in Sustainability. A first generation Chinese-Canadian and an epicurean at heart, she realized the power of cross-cultural storytelling to invoke change in her community when it came to shark fin soup.
Kevin joined Shark Truth in 2009 as a researcher and has transitioned into several positions. On top of being Director of Research, he also manages our Volunteer Engagement department and coordinates outreach events. He is also Director of Logistics for the Sans Fin Soup Contest.
Kevin 在2009年作為研究人員加入Shark Truth，現在擁有多個職位。除了擔任研究中心主任外，他還管理志願者部門和外展活動。他還在“無翅良品—中式湯羹烹飪比賽”擔任物流部門主管。
With a background in biology, Kevin learned about the current state of marine seafood stocks and realized action had to be taken not only by the industry and government but consumers as well. With this knowledge, he strongly believes in Shark Truth’s mission of inspiring positive change from within his Chinese community. Kevin is currently finishing up his BBA studies at Simon Fraser University, working as a regional representative for a digital entertainment company, and serving as a David Suzuki Foundation X SeaChoice ‘Ocean Friendly Seafood’ ambassador.
因為有生物學的背景，Kevin了解道最近當前海洋生物的狀態，意識到不僅（魚翅）產業和政府需要實施行動，消費者也需要。有了這些知識，他堅信Shark Truth的使命在於使中文社區催生積極的改變。Kevin最近將要完成在西門菲沙大學工商管理研究的學位。他還是一個電子娛樂公司的地區代表，並作為大衛鈴木基金會 X SeaChoice 友好海洋大使而服務。
Kevin spends his time off exploring other parts of the world with the ambitious goal of visiting thirty countries before turning thirty.
Kevin在業餘時間喜歡探索世界，他的目標是在三十歲以前探索第三十個國家。
Cécile Yuen, Director and Wedding Contest Coordinator
Cécile Yuen，婚禮比賽主管與協調員
Cécile is our wedding campaigner and has been with us since the first wedding contest in March 2010. In addition to helping couples plan shark fin free weddings, Cecile dedicates herself to bringing awareness and education through community events and media interviews. Possessing fluency in Cantonese and conversational skills in Mandarin, Cécile is able to communicate with members of the Chinese community who are not fluent in English.
Cécile從2010年3月起參與我們第一個婚禮活動，是我們的婚禮活動協調員。除了協助新婚夫婦計劃無翅婚禮，Cecile 致力於通過社區活動和媒體接觸，提高大家對於魚翅的認識與教育。Cecile具良好的粵語和廣東話語言和交流能力，因此她能夠與在中文社區中不擅長于英文的人士溝通。
Cécile grew up in Hong Kong with her grandmother and learned not to be wasteful since she was a kid. Her grandmother used to tell her she always had to finish every grain of rice in her bowl because a lot of less fortunate people don’t even get a chance to eat. Watching Sharkwater a few years ago made Cécile realize that the concept behind shark fin soup was totally against what her grandmother taught her – it is wasteful and inhumane.
Cécile在香港與祖母一起生活成長，從小養成了不浪費的習慣。她的祖母曾經告訴她，她必須食完在碗裡的每一粒米，因為世界上仍然有很多人正處於饑荒中。在幾年前觀看了Sharkwater，使Cécile深切了解到她祖母的教諭—這是非常浪費和不人道的。
Cecile is a graduate of University of British Columbia and currently works full time as a realtor. Cécile enjoys mountain biking, snowboarding and traveling.
Cecile是一名British Columbia大學的研究生，目前作為全職房屋經紀工作。Cécile熱愛踩山地車，滑雪板運動和旅遊。
Vivian Kwong, Director of Finance
Vivian Kwong, 財政主管
在2009年西蒙弗雷澤大學畢業後，Vivian與Claudia一起創辦了Shark Truth。
她在企業融資和項目管理方面花了兩年時間諮詢，很好地指引了集團策略的方向和形成金融基礎設備。因為在溫哥華加拿大長大，Vivian常在歷史悠久的唐人街商店度過童年休閒時光。作為第一代加拿大華裔，她對於粵菜和海洋野生動物有雙重的熱愛。Vivian在她的閒暇時光熱衷於探索戶外。作為一個狂熱的攀岩者，可以經常在沿海的花崗石攀岩處看見她。
Our Team
Christine Chen
Christine is our Chinese Communication Specialist and is honoured to be a part of such an excellent
team. She is currently studying communications at Simon Fraser University. Like most Cantonese folks, she enjoys Cantonese cuisine and follows traditions with pride. Though Cantonese food culture is a wonderful thing, she feels her peers are not as aware of the issues involved in making some its dishes as they could be. Shark Truth serves as a great reminder for her and her peers on how they can perfect their culture.
Christine 是我們的中文通信員，她對於能成為這個優秀團隊的一員感到自豪。她正在西門飛沙大學傳媒系就讀。就像大多數廣東人一樣，她熱愛廣式料理和傳統，并引此為豪。儘管廣式食品文化是很多彩的，她感覺到她的同齡人並沒有意識到有問題菜式存在于這燦爛的文化。Shark Truth很好地提醒了她和她的同齡人去完善（和如何完善）自己的文化。
Corey Lee, Web Master
Corey maintains the Shark Truth website and updates the media database.
Corey負責維持Shark Truth的網絡運轉和更新媒體數據庫。
Growing up in a traditional Chinese family, he learned about shark fin soup when he attended the weddings of family and friends. It was not until he joined Shark Truth that he found out more about how wasteful the shark fin industry is. Corey’s been with the team since 2010. He is currently working as a web designer at a small firm in Richmond.
Corey在傳統的中國家庭長大，他在與家人和朋友一起參與婚宴時接觸到魚翅湯。 直到他參與Shark Truth，他才更多地發現魚翅產業是多麼浪費的一個產業。Corey在2010年加入團隊。他最近在列治文一個小型公司擔任網頁設計。
儘管他是一個技術人員，他喜愛在Grouse Grind登山，游泳，打羽毛球和網球等活動。
Corlyn SpencerCorlyn是一個狂熱的潛水員和海洋愛好者。她在觀看Sharkwater之後感到感動和悲痛，從此發誓要協助教育他人關於鯊魚割鰭產業而導致鯊魚種群的消亡。
她在Shark Truth利用社會媒體去創建人際關係網絡，由此宣傳關於鯊魚割鰭工業的危害。目前，她擁有和經營著一個活動帳篷租賃公司，有著互聯網營銷和廣告策劃的背景。在工作之餘，她喜歡到North Shore trails 騎山地車和爬Grouse Grind。
Jennifer Chan
Jennifer recently got involved with Shark Truth in August as the sponsorship coordinator for the Sans Fin Soup Contest. When she heard there was an organization that focused on promoting awareness and change around shark fin soup within the Chinese community, it sparked her curiosity as she had always felt eating the soup was wrong. With a background in communications and writing, she is glad to contribute her skills while continuing to look for full time work in the field. Before joining Shark Truth, she did a communications internship for six months at the Vancouver Aquarium.
Jennifer最近作為贊助協調員，參與 Shark Truth在 8月份的舉行的“無翅良品–中式烹飪比賽活動”。 當她聽說有一個組織是專注在中文社區宣傳關於拒絕魚翅湯的環保意識，這因此激發了她的好奇心– 其實她一直覺得吃魚翅湯是錯誤的。有著傳媒和寫作的背景，她很高興能夠獻出一己之力，為Shark Truth做出貢獻，同時繼續尋求該領域的全職工作。
In her spare time, Jen enjoys cooking, reading, hiking, jogging, watching movies, and being in the great outdoors.
在她的閒暇時間，Jen熱愛烹飪，閱讀，爬山，慢跑，看電影和戶外活動。
Nathan Cheng, IT Support and Outreach Coordinator
Nathan is Shark Truth’s IT hero and has been with us since the beginning. With a background in industrial design and a passion for technology, Nathan is consistently providing Shark Truth with the tech support to keep our events top notch. The guy is not only an IT whiz – he’s also been an advocate for sharks for the past ten years. Having grown up in a family that loves shark fin, his decision to go Fin Free was and continues to be a tough path to walk. His experience resonates with many young Chinese-Canadians we meet and work with. Nathan’s inspiring story of passion, dedication and perserverance motivates the entire team.
You can find him at our outreach events chatting to folks about his story. When he’s not helping Shark Truth, you can find Nathan geeking out on the latest technology trends
Leah Biery
Leah Biery is a graduate student studying global shark fisheries and the shark fin trade with Daniel Pauly at UBC. As an undergraduate, she studied Zoology and Nonprofit Management at North Carolina State University, where she gained research experience while studying raccoons and olive baboons in their natural habitats. After graduation, Leah worked with marine conservation NGOs in Florida, where she did field work, developed public education materials, and taught courses about marine science and seafood sustainability. It was during her time in Florida that she became interested in shark fisheries, which led her to the UBC Fisheries Centre and Shark Truth.
Leah conducts research in collaboration with Shark Truth in order to provide scientific support for our mission and programs. She is also on the fundraising committee. Leah has never eaten a shark, but she has enjoyed their company while snorkeling and diving and is passionate about protecting them.
Natalie Wong
Natalie was born in Hong Kong and moved to Vancouver at the age of 14. Growing up, she always had shark fin at family banquets but she knew it wasn’t the fin that made the soup taste good. When she found out about the inhumane and wasteful shark finning industry, she knew she had to support Shark Truth. During the day, Natalie is a full time realtor and at night, she is one of our fantastic spokespeople for Chinese media. Another lover of the outdoors, she spends her winters snowboarding the hills of Whistler, travelling the BC coast and cooking for friends and family. Natalie is excited to be a part of the Shark Truth team as she knows you can change people’s behaviours for the better through creative engagement and education.
Sonya Reznitsky, Communications Coordinator
Sonya is our Communications Coordinator and has been volunteering with Shark Truth for a year. In addition to writing the newsletter, op-eds, and advising on social media, she will be working on polishing up our website this fall.
She first learned about shark fin soup two years ago when she stumbled upon an ad campaign against it. She discovered Shark Truth through a local online food forum and was excited to find an opportunity to have an impact on the trade in her own city and learn more about animal conservation in the process. She is currently studying communications at Simon Fraser University.
She currently works as an office administrator at a company focused on land contamination. She enjoys experiencing the ocean by sea kayaking, cycling along the shore and splashing around at Wreck beach.
Ronnie Ma, Information Technology Specialist
Ronnie is our go-to IT guy, working behind the scenes to keep the website running smoothly. He has been volunteering in this capacity with the organization since its inception.
Previously an avid consumer of shark fin soup, he decided to stop after learning about the cruel practice of shark finning from the founders of Shark Truth. With an opportunity to utilize his skills out of university and to help minimize the impact of shark fin soup, he decided to join the organization.
Ronnie is a graduate of Simon Fraser University and currently works full time as a quality assurance analyst at a web IT firm. For leisure, he enjoys playing board games, practicing the Japanese martial art of Kendo, and singing karaoke.
Teresa Cheung, Graphic Designer
Teresa joined Shark Truth in the winter of 2010 – she volunteers her left brain to do graphics such as designing ads, banners and other print work. She . She first learned about Shark Truth through her class teacher assistant, Nathan, when he asked students if any were interested in contributing their skills to the company. Teresa looked up the Shark Truth website and Facebook page to see what they were all about. She realized their mission was very meaningful and wanted to be part of it.
Teresa enjoys traveling, eating, and of course, design! Teresa also works as a web interface designer at Best Buy Canada.
- Robert Aucoin, Communications and Fundraising Specialist
- Candace Cheung, Event Planner
- Nathan Cheng, Outreach Volunteer
- Melissa Howey, Fundraising Volunteer
- Angel Qi, Human Resources Coordinator
- Winnie Tam, Volunteer
- Leesa Watt, Volunteer
To ensure that our approach is culturally informed, we have a Human Resources policy that requires a minimum of 50% of our volunteers to be of Chinese descent.
Advisory Board
Brett Forsyth
Brett is a father of three, avid cyclist, occasional diver, lover of photography and a +10 year veteran of the interactive media industry. Most recently he was Head of Digital Design at the Vancouver Film School and is currently a freelancer specializing in all things interactive.
Since childhood Brett has been interested in the oceans and the creatures that live within them, including sharks. The current plight of these large fish, mostly due to over-fishing because of their fins, has sparked his internal activist. Working with Shark Truth has made it easy for him to be involved in an issue that seemed too large to tackle alone.
Dr. Jennifer Jacquet
Jennifer Jacquet a post-doctorate research fellow working on fisheries issues with Daniel Pauly at the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre as well as game theoretical experiments with Christoph Hauert in the Math Department. As part of her Ph.D. dissertation, Jacquet worked to reconstruct shark catches off the mainland of Ecuador. She has been in the ocean with Galapagos sharks, white tip reef sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, and a heart-stopping oceanic white tip. Her interest in consumer demand makes her an enthusiastic addition to the advisory board of Shark Truth.
Joanna Hui
Starting out as a volunteer for Shark Truth, Joanna was asked by City Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker, who spearheaded the shark fin ban in Toronto, to lead the charge in Toronto. Joanna collected more than 6,000 signatures for the petition to ban shark fins in Toronto, arranged expert testimonies for the Committee meetings, obtained legal opinions that made the ban possible, and organized public outreach events. Toronto Council passed the ban with an overwhelming 38-4 vote. Currently Joanna is assisting other municipalities across Canada to follow suit. Prior to becoming a shark activist, Joanna worked as a policy advisor at the Ontario Ministry of Finance. She has a background in finance and economics, and an MBA from the University of Toronto, specializing in marketing. She enjoys horseback riding and travelling. It is her dream to swim with sharks one day.
Joel Solomon
Joel Solomon is Chairman for Renewal2 Investment Fund and President of Renewal. Joel was instrumental in the development of Renewal and has led the company since its inception in 1994. Currently Joel is bringing his experience into additional capital pools and advisory roles including Vancity and RSF Social Finance. Joel is a founding member of Social Venture Network (SVN), Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), and Tides Canada Foundation. He is Board Chair of Tides Foundation (US) and Hollyhock Foundation, and sits on numerous other Renewal investee boards throughout North America.
Karen Tam Wu
Karen Tam Wu is an avid snorkeler and occasional diver. She has explored the north and south Pacific as well as parts of other oceans around the world. The wonders of creatures such as tropical fish, manta rays, humpback whales, turtles, and, of course – sharks – that live in our waters never ceases to amaze her. In another life, Karen could be a marine or wildlife biologist. Currently, Karen is the Senior Conservation Campaigner for ForestEthics.
Ken Hsueh
Ken joined Shark Truth in 2011. With a strong passion for the environment, he has worked for Greenpeace for three and half years. Ken understands the crucial role that shark plays in our ocean’s ecosystem and is excited to help protect them. Having bore witness to the environmental degradation in Canada caused by tar sands, he hopes to bring more awareness to the issue of shark finning. Ken has extensive experience in working with Chinese communities and will be taking Shark Truth’s message to more communities so we can continually grow support for sharks.
Ken於 2011年加入Sharktruth。
Ken Wu
Ken Wu is a co-founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance and the executive director of the Majority for A Sustainable Society (MASS). He previously worked for 11 years as the executive director and campaign director of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee’s Victoria chapter for 11 years. He graduated from UBC Ecological Science program and currently lives in Victoria, BC.
Kyla Epstein
Building on her degree in Political Science and International Development, Kyla has worked for social justice in both Canada and Guatemala. Kyla has worked in and learned from the for- and not-for-profit worlds and hopes both have benefited from her organizational know-how and her uninvited opining. Kyla is an active volunteer as well, having served on many governance boards including Check Your Head, PEDAL and Kiwassa St. David’s Preschool. She currently sits on the board of directors for genius – an organization that runs Next Up, a leadership program for young people committed to social and environmental justice, and the Vancouver Public Library, which she is thrilled about. Being an advisor for Shark Truth is a privilege.
Nessa van Bergen
Nessa van Bergen has been a fixture in Vancouver’s vibrant restaurant industry for over 15 years. Certified with the International Sommelier Guild (ISG), she has successfully held key restaurant management roles at Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House, Goldfish Pacific Kitchen, Le Crocodile, Mangiamo Restaurant, and The Creek Restaurant and Brewery. Today, van Bergen and her husband, celebrity Chef Dino Renaerts, operate their hospitality consulting business, The Bon Vivant Consulting Group, which provides strategic planning, event coordination, and full-service catering and wine pairings for high-profile events. The couple lives in West Vancouver with their two young daughters.
Olivia Hung
Liv is a freelance marketing consultant, an instructor at SFU Continuing Studies and a blogger. She was a planner at Wasserman + Partners Advertising, BC’s largest independent advertising agency, where she created connection plans that help brands connect with their target audiences. As a digital and social media strategist, she has consulted for some of BC’s most recognized brands, including Vancity, ICBC, WorkSafeBC, and The Community Against Preventable Injuries. Her work has been featured in the technology magazine Backbone and recognized by the Lotus Awards, the Applied Arts Interactive, and the Digital Marketing Awards. Liv is also the creator of the lifestyle blog A Beautiful Life (http://abeautifullife.ca), where she chronicles her love of the simple pleasures in life.
Sean Peters
Sean Peters is the Co-founder of the Global Catalyst Initiative, an organization that provides funding and support to social entrepreneurs in the developing world. His work there helps to grow projects from pilot to proof of concept and become investment-ready within the impact investing landscape. Sean is also former board chair of Global Agents, a Vancouver-based social project incubator. Sean has previously worked with Procter & Gamble in business development, and consulted with Terasen Gas, UBC and the National Research Council. On sunny days you can find him reading on the seawall in Vancouver or climbing rocks in Squamish. He is honoured to be a member of the Shark Truth advisory team, and looks forward to a world where shark fin soup is a dish of bygone days.
William Cheung
William is an Assistant Professor at the UBC Fisheries Centre since 2011. William obtained a BSc. (Biology) in 1998, and subsequently a M.Phil. in 2001 from the University of Hong Kong. After working in WWF Hong Kong for two years, he moved to Vancouver and completed his PhD in Resource Management and Environmental Studies in the UBC Fisheries Centre in 2007. He then worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Sea Around Us project for two years. From 2009 to 2011, he was Lecturer in Marine Ecosystem Services in the School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia in the UK. Currently, his main research area is on assessing impacts of fishing and climate change on marine ecosystems and their goods and services, and studying ways to reconcile trade-offs in their management. He has been a member of the IUCN Groupers and Wrasses Species Specialist Group since 2005 and serves on the editorial board of Fish and Fisheries and International Journal of Sustainable Society.
- Dr. Nick Dulvy
- Clarence Ma
- Phillip Molloy
- Dr. Daniel Pauly
- Stephanie Yuen
- Stephen Wong
Volunteer with a Great Team and Meaningful Cause
Interested in volunteering with Shark Truth? Find out more on how you can Join the fight to Stop the Soup.
RSS Feed