Sunday, June 29, 2008

Yahoo's Alibaba.com continues to trade in shark products

On 07/24/07 RTSea wrote: The success of Yahoo! has enabled it to expand its reach internationally and it currently owns 40% of Alibaba.com, a China-based e-commerce site that provides small to mid-sized Asian companies with an online marketplace. Unfortunately, shark fins are one of the many products featured on the site.

While many activist groups have known about the site and have been pressing the issue with Yahoo!, Alibaba, and even Congress, the link below shows that the issue has now found its way to the business media (BusinessWeek):

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jul2007/gb20070720_756191.htm?chan=search

Alibaba"s position is that they do not market products from animals listed as protected or endangered by CITES. Sharks as an entire species are not listed as such by CITES. But it does not require the recognition by one organization to see that there is a worldwide issue regarding the conservation and protection of sharks - and the vital role they play in the health of our marine environments. Yahoo! can very easily gather the facts and act responsibly.

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