Toronto Bans Shark Fins
Today, the Toronto City Council voted to ban shark fins in the city limits.
The proposal, which passed by a vote of 38 to four, will ban the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins and their derivative products. Violators who repeatedly violate the new legislation will be charged upwards of $100,000 for subsequent offenses.
“The City of Toronto is putting the world on notice that we are not going to participate in the slaughter of sharks in the oceans anymore,” said City Council member Glenn De Baeremaeker. “We as a community, as a diverse community of 2.5 million people, are going to say these shark fins will not touch our lips, we want no part of it, we want it stopped now. We hope that message goes across our nation and across our world.”
The ban was initially proposed by several councilors, but was thought to have been in trouble when it was openly condemned by Mayor Rob Ford.
“I don’t think it’s in our purview to do that,” Ford told CBC. “"If other councilors want to do it it's an open vote. It's been going on for so long I don't know why it's an issue now."
In addition to Ford’s statement, more than 100 protestors crowded the steps of city hall, asserting that the ban would badly effect Toronto's restaurants. The Toronto Chinese Business associati on called the city’s efforts to ban shark fins “unfair” and urged the City Council to refer the issue to federal legislators.
Toronto joins Brantford, Oakville, and Missasauga as the fourth town to ban fins in Ontario, and lengthens the list of recent victories for shark advocates.
