Shark fin, the controversial Chinese "delicacy", is still legal in New York, much to the disgust of many environmentalists, animal lovers and humane society groups. But a re-introduced bill aims to finally take shark fins off menus and specialty store shelves, proposing to ban its sale statewide.
Shark fin is seen as a symbol of high status in China, and its not uncommon to see it served in pricey dishes and soups at city restaurants. But more than 75 million sharks are killed every year for their fins in often brutal and inhumane ways, and a number of the species are endangered or "at risk."
The sale and import of shark fin was banned in California on January 1st of this year, and though New York lawmakers have been kicking around the idea of proposing a similar ban for while, Brooklyn State Assemblyman Alan Maisel and state Senator Mark Grisanti re-introduced a bill earlier this month that would put that ban in play. "Action to ban the barbaric practice of shark fining is long overdue," Maisel said in a statement when he first introduced the bill last year. "Sharks occupy the top of the marine food chain and are a critical part of the ocean ecosystem." The bill has 29 legislators signed up as sponsors; if enacted, the shark fin industry will be banned in Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and Illinois in addition to New York and California.
