Why is shark fin soup still legal?

In October 2011, California governor Jerry Brown, citing the cruelty of finning and potential threats to the environment and commercial fishing, signed Assembly Bill 376, banning the possession and sale of detached shark fins.

Is shark fin harvesting illegal?

The shark fin trade is global and widespread. In the USA, the sale of fins is banned in 14 states including California, New York and Hawaii.

Is Shark finning still legal?

But that would be against state law. California is one of 12 states that bans the sale of shark fins—measures to help prevent further declines of shark populations and to deter finning, which has been illegal in U.S. waters since 2000. …

Is shark fishing illegal in Australia?

In Australia, most sharks can be legally caught by commercial and recreational fishers. Under the EPBC Act, it is an offence to kill, injure, take, trade, keep, or move any member of a listed threatened species on Australian Government land or in Commonwealth waters without a permit.

Why do Chinese eat shark fin soup?

They are used in a popular dish called shark fin soup, which is a symbol of status in Chinese culture. In the past, Chinese Emperors favored the soup as a dish that honored guests because it was thought to have medicinal benefits and represented a victory against powerful sharks.

What does shark meat taste like?

Think alligator and chicken. Depending on who is doing the dining, shark meat tastes like chicken — or roadkill. It’s meaty and mild — but has to be soaked well before it’s eaten because sharks urinate through their skin.

Is Flake a shark fin?

In reality, the term ‘flake’ is commonly used for any shark meat and this can mean any species of shark including those under threat. Threatened species of shark are legally caught and sold in Australia.

What countries shark fin?

It is the gruesome practice of cutting off a live shark’s fins and throwing the rest of the animal back into the sea, where it dies a slow and painful death. The fins are used in China and Hong Kong, and by Chinese communities elsewhere in the world, as the key ingredient in shark-fin soup.

Did China ban shark fin?

The biggest importer and consumer of sharks are now banning shark fin soup! This Might be The Best News All Year! China’s government has, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, made a list of 420 endangered species that is no longer legal to consume, import or sell.

Why shark finning should be banned?

Therefore, shark finning should be illegal because it is cruel and inhumane, it has negative effects on the ecosystem, and the sharks that are targeted the most by the trade are in grave danger of extinction. Sharks that are being fished for their fins are not treated the way animals should be treated.

Is there a ban on shark finning in the USA?

Shark finning has actually been banned in the US since the 1990s, but as long as the animal’s body is not discarded at sea, fishers are generally free to do what they will with the fins; indeed,…

Is shark fin illegal?

Shark finning itself is actually illegal in the United States but fins can still be legally harvested from sharks that are imported from other countries. One of the biggest problems with these laws is that it is nearly impossible to tell illegal fins from legal fins.

Is shark fining legal?

In legal contexts the use of the term “shark finning” can refer specifically to this practice of removing the fins from live sharks and discarding the carcass while still at sea. For these legal purposes the removal of fins on land during catch processing is not necessarily considered to be shark finning. Nov 13 2019