July 27, 2015 — SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — A federal appeals court upheld California’s ban on possession or sale of shark fins Monday, rejecting a challenge by Bay Area suppliers and sellers of shark fin soup, a traditional dish in the Chinese American community.

The law prohibited selling and serving shark fin soup when it took effect in July 2013. Opponents, including restaurants, Chinese American community organizations and shark fin suppliers, argued that the law exceeded the state’s authority and interfered with a commercial fishing market that federal regulations were intended to preserve. Federal laws prohibit shark “finning,” the removal of fins from live sharks, but do not forbid possessing or selling shark fins.

But the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said federal laws on shark fishing recognize the importance of conservation and allow states to adopt their own protective measures, even if they reduce the number of sharks that might otherwise be caught and sold.

“The purpose of the shark fin law is to conserve state resources, prevent animal cruelty, and protect wildlife and public health,” said Judge Andrew Hurwitz in the 2-1 ruling, which upheld a federal judge’s decision in the state’s favor.

Read the full story at San Francisco Chronicle