Student group angered by shark dish on menu

EAST LANSING, Mich. — One student organization on MSU’s campus has taken action against a dining hall for serving mako shark, which might be susceptible to overfishing.

MSU Shark Club is comprised of a group of students fascinated by sharks and other marine species. The club has organized trips to aquariums and museums in the past and promotes protecting ocean life. The club recently received word that The Gallery, the dining hall between Snyder and Phillips halls, served an entree containing shark meat.

Human biology senior Ellen Martines started the club in 2012 as a fun way for students interested in sharks to spend time together, but it has since become a club for activism regarding the conservation of ocean life and raising student awareness.

At the club’s Jan. 30 meeting, a member came forward and noted that a sign in The Gallery the night before revealed that the mariscotta dish featured shark meat.

Initially, the club was told by an official that shark was not used. However in a later response, the correction was made that shark meat was purchased and included as a ‘fresh fish ingredient.’”

Members of the executive board of MSU Shark Club have arranged to meet with management of the dining hall to discuss how this came about and hope to prevent it from happening in the future.

“When I heard about this, I immediately needed to get to the bottom of it,” said Chelsea Stein, the public relations executive for Shark Club. “I am looking forward to understanding the exact details behind the decision to purchase shark meat.”