The country is the largest importer of shark fins outside Asia, though shark finning in the domestic fishery has been illegal since 1994.

The shark fin trade is believed to have contributed to the precarious status of many shark species worldwide. 

an estimated one- third of fins sold come from species that are at risk. Critics 

say the way many of the fins are collected is inhumane and unsustainable and has had a devastating imapact on global shark papulations.

In 2018, Canada imported over 148,000 kg (326,000 lbs) of shark fins.

"We are not the biggest player but we are a player" executive director Josh Laugren, with Oceana Canada, which lobbed for the legislation.