Cécile Yuen

Hails from: Born and grew up in Hong Kong.  I moved to Vancouver when I was 17.
Currently lives in: Vancouver, Canada
Favorite Place: Caye Caulker, Belize
Favorite Things to Do: Mountain biking, diving, travelling, track driving and eating
Favorite Shark: Hammerhead

What shark are you most like and why?
Can I get back to you on this one?

Why sharks & the issue of shark finning?
I grew up in Hong Kong with my grandmother, and learned all the important values as Chinese since I was a kid.  I learned that we have to respect our elderly, take care of our families, be honest and never be wasteful.  My grandmother taught me that I always have to finish every single grain of rice in my rice bowl because lot of less fortunate people don’t even get a chance to eat, and farmers work really hard to provide us food on our tables.

Growing up, I always had shark fin soup at banquet.  I saw it like any other dish.  It never occurred to me that I had never seen the rest of the shark.  Until a few years ago, I watched Sharkwater, and it totally changed my life.  I realized that the concept behind shark fin soup was totally against what my grandmother taught me – it is wasteful and inhumane!  More importantly, I learned that sharks are extremely important to us, and we are losing them.

Watching Sharkwater made me angry and sad.  I was angry that for all these years, I had no idea.  I was sad that the dish that we use to celebrate weddings or important events is actually harming our oceans and environment.

Being Chinese, I knew I had to do something!  I knew I had to tell everybody about it.  I contacted Sharkwater, and I made a postcard about sharks in both English and Chinese.  I told everyone I knew about the truth behind shark fin soup.  I went to Wedding Fairs, and when I saw Asian couples walked by, I would give them the postcard and talk to them.

In 2010 at my girlfriend’s fin free wedding, I was putting my postcard at each table when I met a mutual friend of Claudia Li, the founder of Shark Truth.  That’s when I became part of the Shark Truth team.  Now being the director and wedding contest campaigner, in addition to helping couples plan shark fin free weddings, I dedicate myself to bringing awareness and education through community events and media TV and radio interviews.

Organizations I support:
Shark Truth, United Conservationists, etc.  All organizations that work toward sharks and animals’ right.

Short Bio:
I hold a Bachelor of Science from University of British Columbia.  Currently, I work full time as a realtor.  I speak fluent Cantonese, English and conversational Mandarin.

Websites:
Shark Truth
Facebook Profile