The federal government has officially passed a ban on shark fin import and export.
On Wednesday, the Fisheries Act (Bill C-68) became law, effectively ending the import and export of shark fins in Canada.
A shark fin ban has received sustained, wide-ranging support in recent years. An Oceana Canada petition on Change.org received more than 310,000 signatures and was endorsed by Sen. Michael MacDonald, who introduced the original language in Bill S-238, and MP Fin Donnelly who championed the cause in the House of Commons.
“This is a huge victory for sharks and for the many Canadians, advocacy groups and politicians who joined together to champion the ban of this cruel practice,” said Kim Elmslie, campaign director, Oceana Canada in a news release. “We applaud everyone’s efforts, including Senator Michael MacDonald and MP Fin Donnelly who initiated and championed the private member’s bill calling for a ban.”
Similar efforts to curb Canada’s involvement in this destructive trade were successful earlier this year in Delta.
After nearly a year of petitioning, writing letters and being turned down multiple times, Tsawwassen veterinarian tech Kendra Luckow successfully petitioned Delta council to pass a ban on importing shark fins.
“A dramatic drop in shark populations can ultimately reduce the numbers of phytoplankton, which produce more than half of the world’s oxygen,” said Luckow. “Without sharks, the ecosystem will collapse and humans will be greatly affected by it. Thanks to an outpouring of support from everyday Canadians, organizations like Oceana Canada and the involvement of elected officials, we were able to get both provincial and federal governments to stop the import and export of shark fins. This is a major step in saving our world’s oceans.”
