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Los Angeles. California legislators have voted to ban the sale, trade and possession of shark fin, one of the key ingredients in a traditional Chinese soup, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

The bill, which still needs to be approved by Governor Jerry Brown, would effectively ban the Chinese delicacy in American’s most populous state, which is home to the country’s largest population of Chinese-Americans.

The measure was championed by conservation groups hoping to curtail the shark fin harvest and protect the dwindling number of sharks worldwide. Chinese restaurateurs and traders opposed the measure, claiming discrimination against an ancient cultural tradition.

One of the main sponsors of the bill was Chinese-born Assemblyman Paul Fong, who grew up eating the gelatinous soup but turned against it several years ago after learning how shark finning was wiping out shark populations.

“At this rate, they’re going to be extinct in our lifetime. And without the top predator, our ocean’s ecosystem goes into a huge imbalance and falls like a house of cards,” Fong said.

“I’m proud of my Chinese roots, and our culture will live and survive without shark’s fin.”

Similar legislation has been signed in the states of Washington, Oregon and Hawaii. President Barack Obama signed federal legislation this year tightening a ban on shark finning in US waters.

DPA