The Dorsal Fin

Proposed Shark Fin Ban

A bill that would ban the possession, sale, trade, and distribution of shark fins in the state of Illinois has been proposed by State Representative Sara Feigenholtz, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The proposed bill HB4119 is collaborative effort between Feigenholtz and the Illinois wing of The Humane Society of the United States.

If passed, the bill would go into effect in July 2013. For more information on the proposed bill, check out the Sun-Times article, or head over to the Illinois General Assembly website to read HB4119.

Fin-free "shark fin" soup

According to an article from The New Yorker, San Franciso chef Corey Lee has created his version of “shark fin soup” that doesn’t use shark fins in the recipe. Lee worked with food scientists to develop an alternative method to create the “shark fin texture” The method involves using hydrocolloids in the broth to achieve the desired texture which Lee described as being “gelatinous and brittle” at the same time.

Lee’s version of the soup, which is served at his Benu restaurant, received approval from renown chef Cecelia Chiang. The New Yorker reports that Chiang, who is credited with bringing Northern Chinese cooking to America, had no idea that the soup was not made with shark fins.

You can check out the full story at The New Yorker’s Culture Desk.

Forbes has an article about The Peninsula Hotel chain’s recent announcement that shark fin soup will be removed from the menus of all eight of its luxury hotels on January 1, 2012. The chain includes locations in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong. According to the article other hotels in the region are “reviewing policies” on the dish, but the article notes that it appears that few others appear ready to drop the dish from the menu.

You can check out the entire article at Forbes.

The Toronto City Council has approved a ban on shark fins.

The New York Times is reporting that Toronto City Council has voted to ban the sale, possession and consumption of shark fin and shark fin products within the city. The motion was approved by a 38-4 vote.

According to the by-law the consumption of shark fin “may have an adverse impact on the health, safety and well-being of persons, and on the economic, social and environmental well-being of the City of Toronto.”

Violators of the new law will face fines up to $5,000 (CAD) for a first time offense, $25,000 for a second offense, and $100,000 for a third or subsequent offense. The ban will go into effect September 1, 2012.

SBS World News Australia recently posted the interview above to YouTube, which features retired NBA star Yao Ming. While the interview covers many topics including Ming’s basketball career as a player and now a club owner, it also touches on environmental issues including pollution and shark conservation. Ming has been outspoken in recent years about shark conservation and has encouraged an end to the consumption of shark fin soup.