PORTLAND, Ore. — Illegal shark fin sales in a Portland grocery store marks the first conviction under an Oregon law that prohibits possession, sale, trade or distribution of shark fins. The June 4 conviction calls into play a law created in 2011 to preserve vulnerable shark populations.
Agnes Yu, 52, of Happy Valley, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing, selling, or trading shark fin, after selling dried shark fin through Wing Ming Herbs, a specialty food store in SE Portland that she and her husband own. She was sentenced to 12 months bench probation, $1,000 in fines and $360 in restitutions for the Class A Misdemeanor.
The case was prosecuted by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Environmental and Cultural Resources Enforcement Unit of the Oregon Department of Justice. The plea and sentencing, presided over by the Hon. Christopher Marshall, concluded and investigation that lasted over a year and involved Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Troopers (OSP F and W), and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). An undercover informant was instrumental in discovering and then making the case.
Marketing shark fin, like many illegal endeavors, is through word-of-mouth. When an anonymous source approached OSP F and W Troopers and said they had heard Wing Ming Herbs was selling shark fin, detectives enlisted the source as an undercover informant to assist in a sting operation. According to OSP Lieutenant Ryan Howell, on Jan. 23, 2018, the informant was able to record the purchase of six packages of dried, processed shark fin from Yu. Yu was not cited for the offense until September of 2019 due to a separate investigation by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Shark fin is a delicacy in some cultures and broth made with the fin is traditional fare for
