California House of Representatives passes bill to ban shark fin trade

California House of Representatives passes bill to ban shark fin trade The California House of Representatives passed a bill on May 23 with 63 votes in favor and 8 votes against, prohibiting the sale, trade or...

California House of Representatives passes bill to ban shark fin trade The California House of Representatives passed a bill on May 23 with 63 votes in favor and 8 votes against, banning the sale, trade or possession of shark fins in California. The bill will be submitted to the Senate for consideration and, if passed, will take effect on January 1, 2013. The bill submitted by Chinese-American Representatives Fang Wenzhong and Representative Huffman of the California Assembly requires California to ban the shark fin trade. Fang Wenzhong said: "California has the largest demand for shark fins in the United States. The large demand has prompted fishermen to hunt sharks in large quantities, exacerbating the decline in shark numbers. Therefore, we must block shark fin trading channels in California." San Mateo County Democratic Rep. Ma Shiyun opposed this bill. She said: "I chose not to eat meat 25 years ago. I will not impose my personal choice on Californians. In fact, there is no law prohibiting food in California." Ma Shiyun said that California has federal and state-level agencies that monitor and work hard to protect endangered species through licenses, regulations, quotas and enforcement. If sharks are an endangered species, all shark hunting should be banned. Ma Shiyun said that she searched California shark meat restaurants on Google and found that many restaurants have shark steaks. In San Francisco Chinese restaurants, a dish of shark fin soup costs between 15 and 75 US dollars, making it a high-profit dish for restaurants. Restaurant owner Mr. Ou also said: "If shark fin is banned, it will have an impact on Chinese food culture and the survival of Chinese restaurants." However, there are also Chinese people who support Fang Wenzhong's proposal. Mr. Fan, a Chinese restaurant owner, said: "Although this is part of the exquisite Chinese culture, the earth comes first, so I support the bill to ban the shark fin trade." Ma Shiyun believes that shark fin has become a sensitive cultural issue in many Chinese communities. Shark fin soup is considered a traditional delicacy with a long history. Shark fin soup is served on grand and important occasions, such as weddings or birthday celebrations. To many in her community, this bill represents a direct attack on Chinese culture and tradition. Explaining the reason for her vote, she reiterated that the bill would be California's first to ban food. Moreover, this bill will take us in a dangerous direction: Let us decide what a certain group of people can and cannot eat.