SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — February 14, 2014 — More than a ton of illegal shark fins were seized from a vendor in San Francisco, state wildlife officials said Friday.
Michael Kwong, 42, of Kwong Yip Inc. was cited for having 2,138 pounds of the fins, which violates California's ban that went into effect last July, said Lt. Patrick Foy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Possessing shark fins, selling or trading them is a misdemeanor under California's law, so Foy said it will be up to a judge to determine any penalty.