A Richmond Hill Town Council motion to support a Senate bill to ban the importation of shark fins in Canada was withdrawn. In late May, following a successful Toronto City Council vote to support the ban, Richmond Hill Ward 5 councillor Karen Cilevitz introduced the motion at a Committee of the Whole meeting. Among those attending were Brian and Sandra Stewart, the parents of the late Rob Stewart, who first brought the issue into the international spotlight with his 2006 documentary, “Sharkwater,” before he died in February this year.
“There was quite a bit of support from the residents, but in consultation and discussion with council and [after seeing] the way the vote had gone at Committee of the Whole, I knew it would not pass,” said Cilevitz on why she decided to withdraw the motion before the council afterwards. “I did not want to have a negative vote in Richmond Hill, which could adversely affect any motion or vote still undertaken in Ottawa.”
Shark finning is the act of removing the fins of a shark to be used in shark fin soup, a Chinese delicacy. The shark is thrown back into the ocean, where it may float to the bottom to die or get eaten alive by other animals. Shark finning is illegal in Canadian waters, but people can sell and import the fins.
“I was extremely, extremely upset that I did not have the support of my fellow council members,” said Cilevitz. “Anybody who has an ounce of compassion or empathy for our natural world cannot possibly stand by and let this continue.”
Ben Leung, vice-president of the Markham–Richmond Hill Chinese Business Association, was a vocal opponent of the ban.
“We should not a pick a part of the product to ban,” said Leung, explaining that people hunt sharks for a variety of uses, including for their meat and skin. “Canadians don’t consume shark fins. When this bill comes out, certain communities in this country get attacked [for being cruel]. If you want to save the oceans, ban shark hunting.”
Sandra and Brian Stewart would eventually like to see the slaughter of sharks in the ocean banned as well. For them, it begins with getting municipalities involved in support of the Senate bill.
“That’s really what the objective is. This is the first step,” said Brian Stewart. “It’s really not an issue about culture or anything else. The oceans are about to go down.”
