VICTORIA — The leader of the Green Party of Canada says she’ll take a petition calling for an end to the harvesting of shark fins to Parliament.
Elizabeth May made the comment in Victoria on Monday after local scuba divers presented her with a petition that calls for a ban on the possession, trade, distribution or sale of shark fins in Canada.
Shark fins are considered a delicacy and are used in soups.
Scuba diver Alisa Preston says in a news release that the number of sharks on the world’s oceans is declining at an alarming rate and that’s a threat to the ecosystem.
Public pressure to end the harvesting of shark fins is not new. Similar proposals are being deliberated in various Canadian cities including Toronto.
In August, actress Bo Derek joined California legislators in promoting a bill that would ban selling, trading or possessing shark fins.