Free Republic

While Florida gains notoriety as the epicenter of the shark trade in the United States, state lawmakers there advanced legislation Monday that would ban the possession of shark fins. The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee endorsed that proposal, as well as another bill that would stiffen penalties against hunters who kill black bears. Spurred by advocates, the committee voted to join other states in outlawing the sale and possession of shark fins, a prized delicacy in some cultures, and a lucrative one.

President Obama, who signed the Shark Conservation Act into law last month, apparently didn't check out the menu before he made a surprise visit Thursday to a restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown that is among a handful still serving shark fin soup, a delicacy that has been outlawed in California. The Great Eastern restaurant, a Chinatown landmark on Jackson Street, has a $48 single serving of braised shark fin soup on its menu, and was the site of the president's drop-in after he landed in San Francisco to attend three fundraising events. Obama made an unannounced visit to the venue,...