Hilton Worldwide will cease serving shark fin and stop accepting new orders for shark fin dishes by April 1, 2014. The ban covers all restaurants and facilities operated by its 96 owned and managed properties across Asia Pacific.

The final step of the ban takes effect in Japan on April 1, 2014, when shark fin dishes will no longer be served in restaurants and facilities operated by Hilton Worldwide’s owned and managed properties.

This puts the global hospitality company on track to ban shark fin in all restaurants and F&B facilities operated by its portfolio of 645 owned and managed hotels globally.

In December 2012, the company first removed shark fin from menus across all restaurants and food and beverage facilities operated by its managed properties in China and Southeast Asia, and only serving it on request.

Hilton says the ban on shark fin anticipates its Sustainable Sourcing Policy, including sustainable seafood, which will be released at a later date.

Photo: NOAA Ocean Service Flickr photostream