SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — More than a ton of illegal shark fins
were seized from a vendor in San Francisco, state wildlife officials
said Friday.
Michael Kwong, 42, of Kwong Yip Inc. was cited for
having 2,138 pounds of the fins, which violates California’s ban that
went into effect in July, said Lt. Patrick Foy of the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Possessing shark fins, selling or
trading them is a misdemeanor under California’s law, so Foy said it
will be up to a judge to determine any penalty.
Investigators were led to Kwong during an investigation of an Emeryville restaurant cited for selling
shark fin soup on Jan. 27.
"We
consider this an extremely egregious violation of the law," Foy said.
"We will work with San Francisco’s district attorney and push the case
forward."
A message left for Kwong at his business was not returned.
Kwong
has been an outspoken opponent of the state’s ban, and he was a member
of a Chinese-American group that sued to challenge its
constitutionality, Foy said.
Conservation groups have estimated
that 73 million sharks are killed each year globally for their fins,
which are often cut from live animals.
Opponents of shark finning praised the state’s bust.
"California’s
shark fin ban is critical to ending the cruel practice of shark
finning, and to protecting sharks and ocean ecosystems for future
generations," Jennifer Fearing of the Humane Society of the U.S. said in
a statement. "This important bust by California’s ‘thin green line’
sends a strong message that breaking California’s animal protection laws
has consequences."
Kwong insisted that the fins be kept refrigerated during the investigation, in the hopes that he would
get them back, Foy said.
The fins are often used to make shark fin soup, a traditional Chinese dish.
Delaware,
Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Oregon and Washington also have
state bans on the possession or sale of shark fins, according to the
Humane Society.
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