With shark fin soup still on the menu in many of Richmond’s Chinese restaurants, an MLA has started a new push for a provincial ban on the sale of the controversial product.
The drive, however, to restrict the sale of shark fin items, isn’t coming from any of Richmond’s three B.C. politicians, but from the BC Green party MLA Andrew Weaver, who represents Oak Bay-Gordon Head.
Weaver raised the issue recently in the Legislature and met last week with the Minister of Agriculture, Norm Letnick, to ask for his support in helping halt a practice which many experts believe is threatening certain species of shark.
Weaver is well aware of how sensitive the issue is in Richmond, where shark fin soup is sold in many Chinese restaurants, including Jade Seafood, on Alexandra Road, where, in 2013, MP Alice Wong ceremoniously ate a bowl of the soup for Chinese-only media. In the past couple of years, Richmond and other cities have considered bans but have not followed through on the proposal. Toronto had its bid thrown out by the courts and New Westminster MP Finn Donnelly had his bid for a federal ban voted down.
Still, Weaver is adamant, after seeking fresh legal opinion, that a provincial ban on the sale of shark fin products is workable in B.C.
“(Donnelly’s bill) didn’t make it because it was voted down, not because it wasn’t workable,” said Weaver, whose attention was focused on the issue by Grade 6, 7 and 8 students from his riding.
“I don’t worry about why something didn’t work, I’m only looking at making it work and finding ways that it can. We do have the power in B.C. to regulate this.
For those who still want to participate in buying shark fin products, we can have an exclusion for the spiny dogfish, which are plentiful in B.C.
“Provincially, we can regulate what is sold in stores. This is about a ban or restriction on the sale of shark fins in B.C., not the importation of them, which is under federal jurisdiction.”
Demand is going down as the public becomes more aware of the extinction issues, said Weaver.
“But some things just need a little kick. Although, you can’t even get shark fin soup in Victoria, and we have the oldest Chinese community in Canada.”
Weaver said Minister Letnick’s staff is now looking over his material. He hopes to hear back next month.
