Mississauga council puts the brakes on its shark fin ban

Back in October, Mississauga beat Toronto to the punch in banning the sale of shark fins, and on Wednesday, it beat Toronto to the punch in repealing that ban. According to a bylaw passed by council, the ban is no longer in force “until June 30, 2012” so that officials can meet with the federal government and allow business owners to adjust. “It gives us time to do our homework,” Pat Mullin, the ban’s biggest champion on council, told the Toronto Star. However, she wasn’t sure whether the bylaw would apply immediately in June or whether it would require a new vote. Stephen Chu, president of the Mississauga Chinese Business Association, believes the delay it is the first step toward a permanent repeal. “They listened to us,” he said. Toronto banned fin products just two weeks after Mississauga; hopefully for the sharks, a repeal isn’t already in the works here, too. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »