Shark FINale?

A bill before the Legislature would ban shark fins, used in the traditional Chinese soup

By Rob Shikina

But some ethnic Chinese in Hawaii are upset by the proposal because it would outlaw shark fin soup, a Chinese delicacy.

The House Economic Revitalization Committee will hear the bill tomorrow.

Originally a dish for emperors, shark fin soup is expensive and usually reserved for weddings, birthdays and other celebrations.

While appreciated for its texture and supposed medicinal qualities, the price of shark fins also makes the soup a symbol of wealth, with some places in Hawaii selling a bowl for $45.

Johnson Choi, president of the Hong Kong China Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, said forbidding shark fin soup at a formal Chinese banquet would be like not having kalua pig or poi at a luau.

"For the dignitaries, shark fin soup is almost expected," Choi said. "We keep shaking our head when Hawaii is doing this kind of stuff."

He surmised that if the bill were to pass, Chinese tourists would go where they can still eat the gourmet food, such as California, Bali or Las Vegas.

Proponents of the bill, however, say shark populations are in decline and need more protection. As top predators in the ocean, sharks help keep the ocean's ecosystem in balance.

The bill would close loopholes in state and federal shark fishing laws that allow "shark finning" or dumping live sharks with their fins removed back into the ocean to drown, starve to death or be eaten by other fish, supporters say.

Senate Bill 2169 would erase state laws that ban shark finning and instead outlaw possession of shark fins entirely, adding fines of $5,000 to $15,000 for offenders.

State Sen. Clayton Hee, who introduced the bill, said he wants to protect the ecosystem, the health of consumers and the Hawaiian deity.

Sharks have a high mercury content and should not be eaten by pregnant women or young children, said Hee (D, Kahuku- Kaneohe), who is half Chinese and half Hawaiian.

"Hawaiians have long stood in silence with the knowledge that their aumakua (guardian deities) were being mistreated, slaughtered and consumed," he said. "We can continue to live on without shark fin soup."

House Speaker Calvin Say, who is Chinese, was skeptical of the bill.

"Oh, my goodness, that's a cultural thing for me," Say (D, St. Louis-Kaimuki) said. "It's very delicious, and it is being served in other parts of the world at this point in time."

"I think this is nonsense," said Calvin Wong, owner of Royal Garden Chinese Restaurant in Ala Moana. "Why don't they ban fishing for tuna fish? There's a lot of shark fin in the ocean."

Shark fins for soup come from the blue fin shark, which still has a healthy population and is largely a by-catch, he said.

But some Chinese, wary of offending others, would accept the bill.

Ginny Young, president of the United Chinese Society of Hawaii, said Chinese have cut back on the expensive dish. She said soup, rather than shark fin soup, is important for a banquet, and Chinese have adjusted by serving melon or other soups.

She supported the bill but acknowledged she is a vegetarian and did not know how her group would feel about it.

Vienna Hou, manager of Kirin Restaurant in Moiliili, said, "We've been eating it for hundreds of years."

But if the state were to ban shark fins, "there's nothing we can do," she said. "We're not going to protest."