State authorities Friday announced the seizure of more than 2,000 pounds of shark fins from a San Francisco seafood distributor in what is the first major bust under a new California law barring the sale of the traditional Chinese delicacy.

Michael Kwong, 42, owner of Kwong Yip Inc. in the South of Market neighborhood, was cited Jan. 29 for being in violation of the July 1 ban after investigators found his business full of shark fins ready for sale, officials said.

Investigators collected 2,138 pounds of shark, officials said, which they continue to analyze to confirm the body part and species of fish.

"It's probably thousands of sharks," said Lt. Patrick Foy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

California lawmakers passed the prohibition on the possession and sale of shark fins in 2011, but the law was phased into full effect only last year. Violation of the law is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

Its backers say the regulation is needed to prevent the cutting of fins from live sharks and to protect consumers from mercury in the fins.

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The fin is commonly used to make soup in Chinese culture, where it's embraced as a celebratory dish and praised for its health benefits.

Groups of Chinese American businesses and shark-fin suppliers have sued over the law, arguing that it's discriminatory. One of two lawsuits is pending in federal court.

Last month's bust came after investigators found an Emeryville restaurant selling shark fin soup and traced the meat to San Francisco. The East Bay restaurant was cited.

Only a handful of citations have been issued, Foy said, most for possessing small quantities of fins.

The Humane Society of the United States was quick to praise state officials for the crackdown.

"California's shark fin ban is critical to ending the cruel practice of shark finning and to protecting sharks and ocean ecosystems for future generations," said Jennifer Fearing, a senior state director for the organization, in a prepared statement. "But the law only helps sharks if it is strongly enforced."

An estimated 26 million to 73 million sharks die each year to meet the global demand for shark fins, the organization says.