Illinois Bans Shark Fin Sales

By Amy Cavanaugh in Food on Jul 8, 2012 4:00PM

We've heard a lot about California's foie gras ban lately, which reminded us of Chicago's short-lived ban on the decadent fatty livers. Last Sunday, another ingredient got banned from Illinois menus—shark fins—and we're hoping this one sticks.

Back in March, the Illinois House voted to ban the possession of shark fins, which are used in shark fin soup, long considered a Chinese delicacy. Last Sunday, Gov. Quinn signed a law that bans the sale, trade or distribution of shark fins, with the hope that it will help declining shark populations. According to the Tribune, the lawmakers pushing for the ban said that Chicago's Chinatown has been a hub for Midwestern fin sales. Illinois joins California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington in banning shark fins.

A recent Los Angeles Times op-ed suggests that China may be headed in the same direction.

According to Global Times and the Humane Society of the United States, the Government Offices of the State Council in China announced that it would move over the next two to three years to remove shark fins from the menus of official functions, and to prod other levels of government in the same direction. Of course, that doesn't affect private dinners, but now that the Chinese government has officially expressed concern about the taking of shark fins and taken steps not to serve it as food, it's more likely that others will be following suit over time.

The ingredient is controversial because of the way fishermen obtain them—finning involves cutting off the fins, then throwing the sharks back in the water. This results in sharks bleeding to death or drowning. In the Trib story, Shedd Aquarium President and CEO Ted Beattie said millions of sharks are killed each year, many just for their fins.