Elected officials in Albany yesterday unanimously approved a bill banning the sale and distribution of shark fins, an integral ingredient of a soup that’s sometimes served on auspicious occasions in traditional Chinese culture. It’s now up to Governor Cuomo to sign the bill into law, and if he does, he’ll be in good company: Last week, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed off on similar legislation, making it the first East Coast state to enact a strong position on the multi-million-dollar global industry.
Central to the trade is the practice known as “finning,” where workers cut fins off sharks and discard the still-living sharks in the sea, where they die. The ban, which has been long in the works, may reflect a gradual cultural shift away from the perception of shark fin as a delicacy: The Chinese government even passed a moratorium on serving the soup at state banquets last summer.
New York Legislature Unanimously Agrees: No Shark Fin Soup For You [Runnin’ Scared/VV]
Earlier: Shark Fin Is Probably Going to Be Illegal Soon
China Has Banned Shark-Fin Soup at State Banquets
