Shark Fin Soup Might Leave the Menu at Wheaton Restaurant
A bill in the state legislature would effectively make it illegal for Wong Gee Asian Restaurant in Wheaton to serve shark fin soup.
by Jessica Wilde, Capital News Service ANNAPOLIS - In the United States, it is illegal to remove a shark’s fin and discard the rest of the fish to die in the water, a practice that has been driven by high demand for shark fin soup and has depleted shark populations worldwide. But several states have gone further to curb demand for the fins by making it illegal to possess or sell detached shark fins, and Maryland could be next. A bill in both the House and Senate would make it illegal, with some exceptions, to distribute, possess, sell or trade shark fins in the state, effectively making it illegal to sell shark fin soup in Maryland. There are about 15 watermen who fish for sharks in Maryland waters, and about 10 restaurants that serve …
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Kim de Groot
3:03 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
This doesn't set a precedent: it's already there. We don't allow horsemeat either. Finning is barbaric, and I'm amazed menu items including any kind of food possibly obtained illegally is allowed. When the moratorium was in place on rockfish, tags were needed to indicate that the fish was legal. If a shark is caught legally, and the entire fish used, couldn't a tag indicate that those fins were … more ›