Finally, something that Canada can be proud of on the international scene. Canada has become the first G20 country to completely ban the shark fin trade.
It has been illegal for the domestic fishing industry to harvest shark fins since 1994, but the number of Asians living in Canada has meant that it is the largest importer of shark fins outside Asia, importing about 148,000 kg a year. Although less popular and less politically acceptable than it once was, shark fin soup is still considered a great delicacy for many Asians, despite (or maybe because of!) the fact that the shark fin trade is believed to have contributed to the precarious status of many shark species worldwide. An estimated one-third of fins sole come from shark species that are at risk.
In this period of environmental retrenchment, Canada does not seem to have had many victories to celebrate recently. So, let's celebrate this one: yay, Canada!
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