The Dorsal Fin

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.

Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed the California Shark Protection Act into law.

The L.A. Times is reporting that California governor, Jerry Brown, has signed AB 376 (aka “Shark Protection Act”) into law. The newly signed law prohibits the possession, sale, and trade of shark fins in the State of California. The ban will go into effect on January 1, 2012.

The Virgin Group’s Richard Branson and former NBA star Yao Ming have recently been featured in the media speaking out against the consumption of shark fin soup. The UK’s Telegraph shared the video above on their YouTube channel which features previously seen footage of Branson swimming with whale sharks and speaking out about threatened species. The end of the video features Ming’s latest WildAid PSA targeting shark fin soup consumption.

California state senator Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) has posted his opposition remarks made from the Senate Floor regarding California’s AB 376 (Shark Protection Act). Huff was in the minority of senators who opposed the bill, which passed on Tuesday with a vote of 25 to 9.

While most of the opposition seen in the press simply stated that the bill was “culturally biased” (which Huff seems to agree with), Huff also presented the argument that the shark fin ban would not address the root problem of shark sustainability, because it would not necessarily alter the number of sharks that could be caught in California waters, rather it merely bans the fins of caught sharks.

Huff also states that photos of shark carcasses with their fins removed are “misleading.” He goes on to support this idea by generalizing immigrants with the statement that “they don’t waste anything” and “eat everything” on a shark. Huff based his generalization on the fact that he lives in and represents an immigrant community.

Huff concludes that the shark fin ban will result in shark fins, which would otherwise have been consumed, being thrown away (given the assumption that the number of sharks harvested would remain unchanged after the shark fin ban). Huff views this as a wasteful practice and goes on to point out that “education” would be a more effective approach toward the root problem of shark sustainability.

The bill is now on its way to California Governor Jerry Brown. If Governor Brown signs the bill into law it would go into effect on January 1, 2012.