“Dear Guest: We are replacing the traditional shark fin soup in a Chinese banquet with a lobster bisque. We are boycotting sharp fin soup because sharkfinning is a cruel practice and its effects are destroying the environment.” Jay & Jo.

This simple but controversial message greeted each of Joanna Hui and Jason Kwok’s 250 wedding guests last summer.

A copy had been placed atop every dinner plate in the banquet hall.

“We didn’t want to hide the fact that we weren’t having shark fin soup. We were being up front about it. The cards explained everything,” said Hui, 32.

Across North America, cities and states are passing legislation to stop the sale of shark fin soup. It started in Hawaii, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Washington State recently enacted a law.

Legislation is pending in Oregon and California. And in the last few months, municipalities across Canada are taking up the cause.

It all began with former Brantford MPP Phil Gillies, a Canadian representative with the environmental advocacy group WildAid. Gillies went around the country, speaking with provincial and municipal leaders about moving on legislation.