Shark fin debate day at Toronto City Council. And everyone showed up: Shark-Man, Mother/Daughter or possibly sisters in Fin-Free Tees, Shark Babies.
I was a little doubtful at first. Sure, we should not eat shark fin. The finning practice (taking the fins and dumping the bodies in the ocean) combined with the number of endangered sharks being harvested is enough to convince even a dedicated carnivore like me. I tried shark fin soup, years ago, at a Christmas party. One co-worker told me it was probably imitation. Either way, it's not a particularly delicious food item. It's consumption is largely a matter of ostentation; displaying the status of being able to afford shark fin.
But a ban seemed more the jurisdiction of the federal government, which is in a position to prevent the importation of shark fins into the country. As I listened to arguments I changed my mind. Maybe you fight battles where you think you can win them. And maybe (and I know my boy John Baird can back me up on this) making moral choices for others is what the #torontoelite, from elbow-patched professors, to daredevil cabbies, to our Mayor, does best.
There was also a visiting elementary class, plus a group from Occupy Toronto. I walked into city hall ahead of them, with my Giant Bag of Stuff. The police waived me through, then started searching the bags of the Occupy Kids.
Doug Holyday made some good points, arguing that it was simply not Toronto's job to be policing the world's oceans. In fact, this was as civil, intelligent and respectful as I've ever seen council. Licensing chief Bruce Roberston (third from left) said that we simply don't have the authoriy. Gord Perks said he'd been getting hundreds of emails from pro-finning lobbying groups. Another email pinged on his phone as he talked to us (he wouldn't show it)
Kristyn Wong-Tam, one of the architects of the shark fin ban.
Cesar Palaccio, best known as the father on "Everyone Loves Raymond", says that this is not a cultural issue, but a matter of doing what's right, likening shark finning to the ivory trade, which we now think of as an inhumane practice.
Shark-Man's work is done.
Happy campers.
Though some campers were tuckered out.
... and some campers weren't happy.
You can see the flurry of attention, soon to be international, as Toronto makes a move that will reflect us as a progressive, compassionate city, that thinks about the future (of fish, if not transportation). In the background, alone, are The Fords and Holyday, who voted against it.
the end.
... or is it ... ?
3 comments:
As a Chinese-Canadian, but also an environmentalist, I support the ban of shark fin in the city. But I’ve thought about why it’s a challenging issue….
Yes, the inhumane nature of how sharks are hunted and killed solely for their fins, then tossed back into the ocean is awful. So are we focusing on the inhumane treatment, or on the waste associated with the hunt?
Because if you want to talk about inhumane treatment of animals for consumption, then we should probably ban a lot of other things. It is equally inhumane that chickens get their beaks and claws cut off and then are crammed into tiny cages. And what would happen if we were to ban chicken? How would the #TorontoElite feel about that?
Now if the main argument is because sharks are becoming extinct, then we should have a responsibility to other fish as well - tuna and salmon for example…
I do hope that the ban extends to Toronto suburbs - because otherwise, one can just drive north of Steeles to get their shark fin. Slippery slope.
Lastly, what's also murky is that it bans the possession of shark fin as well - while it might be odd for someone to understand, some restaurants and families have shark fins on display, showcased as a family heirloom, and yes, status symbol. Are they responsible for disposing of it themselves?
And what if shark fin is brought in as a gift? Will Toronto Pearson confiscate it at the border?
I'm looking forward to hearing about the details of the ban - how much time will the Chinese community have to prepare, and what next steps will be. But I do believe there are lots of questions that need to be answered still.
Thanks for the post.
melly
http://mellymadeit.com/
I believe merchants have a year to sell of their inventory of shark fin. The other issues you bring up are the legal conflicts that city staff were warning about.
I think those concerns were ignored, not just because councillors were voting from an emotional perspective, but because they are all good reasons not to have done it.
As someone with a lot of Chinese friends, this is not a cultural thing at all. I appreciate all of the arguments about factory farms, seal slaughters and other inhumane things that are done all of the time. The reality is that the situation is critical with sharks right now. How can you sit by and watch magnificent creatures like whale sharks, great white sharks and hammerhead sharks disappear. People have stood up and taken action about elephants and rhinos and realize the urgency of the situation. Sharks are at the same position and we need to act. So what if this is just Toronto at this point. I hope that cities like NY, Chicago, London, Paris follow suit just like the smoking bans so many years ago. And yes perhaps even HK, Beijing and Shanghai will also take action. I get that shark fin is an auspicious dish for weddings. If we can get if off the menu of business lunches, state dinners and other marginally important events, then perhaps we can get sharks off the endangered list and available for sustainable consumption.
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