Banning the sale of shark fins: Response from the Minister

In November the Minister of Agriculture committed to meeting with me to discuss how British Columbia could end the sale, trade and distribution of shark fins in British Columbia. We subsequently met and at the meeting I promised to put together a package of information that he committed to pass along to Ministry staff for a thorough review.

Shortly after the meeting, I presented the Minister with a binder containing detailed and comprehensive information outlining the rationale for implementing legislation to ban the sale, trade and distribution of shark fins.

Yesterday, I received the Minister’s response that I reproduce below.

I am disappointed with the response. The Minister did not respond to my specific question as to whether the government would consider introducing legislation to ban the sale, trade and distribution of shark fins in British Columbia. In the legal opinion I tabled in the Legislature and provided to the Minister, this is an area that falls within provincial jurisdiction. Instead the Minister deferred to federal jurisdiction concerning what can be imported into Canada and what can be harvested in our coastal waters.

Sadly, this response is not what I was hoping for.