More than a tonne of illegal shark fins have been seized from a vendor in San Francisco, state wildlife officials say.
Michael Kwong, 42 of Kwong Yip Inc. was cited for having 970 kilograms of the fins, which violates a California ban that went into effect in July, said Lt Patrick Foy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Possessing shark fins, selling or trading them is a misdemeanour under California's law, so Foy said it will be up to a judge to determine any penalty.
Investigators were led to Kwong during an investigation of an Emeryville restaurant cited for selling shark fin soup on January 27.
"We consider this an extremely egregious violation of the law," Foy said.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"We will work with San Francisco's district attorney and push the case forward."
A message left for Kwong at his business, asking for comment was not returned.
Kwong has been an outspoken opponent of the state's ban and he was a member of a Chinese-American group that sued to challenge its constitutionality, Foy said.
Conservation groups have estimated that 73 million sharks are killed each year globally for their fins, which are often cut from live animals.
Opponents of shark finning praised the state's bust.
Kwong insisted that the fins be kept refrigerated during the investigation, in the hopes that he would get them back, Foy said.
The fins are often used to make shark fin soup, a traditional Chinese dish.
Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Oregon and Washington also have state bans on the possession or sale of shark fins, according to the Humane Society.
