|
The Shark
Friendly Restaurant Initiative
An aspect of
the Predators in Peril Project
SHARKS ARE IN TROUBLE
Are you ready to help?
Our
Simple Mission
To
encourage restaurant owners to take sharks off of their menus through
education and polite coercion.
How You
Can Play a Part
Take a
field trip around your town. Make a list of all the restaurants that
have shark fin soup, shark steaks and other shark dishes on their menus.
Make another list of seafood restaurants, sushi bars and oriental
restaurants that DO NOT sell shark dishes.
Download and print or photocopy our Shark Friendly Restaurant
Information Sheet.
Order
enough Shark Friendly Restaurant Decals to present to all the
restaurants that don't sell shark dishes and ask for extras for
restaurants that may have a change of heart.
We
Approach
the restaurants that DON'T sell shark fins FIRST. Explain the problems
that sharks are facing as best you can. Give them a fact sheet and thank
them for their responsible attitude. Offer them a Shark Friendly
Restaurant Decal and explain to them that displaying the decal informs
their customers that they are a responsible eco-minded establishment.
Email
us with a list of Restaurant Names and Addresses. Include their website
address if they have one. We will add them to the Shark Friendly
Restaurant Database that will be built over the summer of 2010.
Contact
your local eating guides and entertainment magazines to tell them about the
project. Don't be shy, magazines need news. This may be the best story
they have had in a while. Tell them about all the restaurants that are
proudly displaying the decal. Make sure you give them access to a high
resolution jpg of the Shark Friendly Restaurant Symbol so that they can
print it in their magazine.
Now
that you have created a movement here comes the challenging bit...
Armed
with your success you are ready to approach restaurants that still sell
shark dishes. Here is some advice:
Approach restaurant managers and owners when they are least busy.
Dress
smartly - you will be taken more seriously.
Be
polite at all times - you will get further and it is a requirement of
the initiative.
If they
let you, present the facts. If not, ask if you can leave them a fact
sheet.
Show
them a decal but DO NOT give them one until they have changed their
menu.
Impress
on them that a growing number of consumers are looking for change and
tell them how many restaurants are already displaying the decal in your
town.
Be
patient. Rome wasn't built in a day. Even if they initially say no,
follow up with a second visit once they have had time to notice other
restaurants with the decal. Nobody wants to be first but if they realize
that they are missing out on a trend they may have a change of heart.
Tell us
about your successes. We'll publish your stories on Elasmodiver to
encourage more people to help make the world a shark friendly place to
eat.
K
DOWNLOAD THE SHARK FRIENDLY FACT SHEET
Visit the Predators
in Peril Page to find out about other ways that you can help protect
sharks
|
