Oregon Moves to Ban Shark Fin Soup
A bill that would add Oregon to the handful of states who have banned shark fin soup is gaining steam in the state legislature.
House Bill 2838, which was unanimously endorsed last week by The House Agriculture and Natural Resource Committee, would officially prohibit the possession or distribution of shark fins, proposing an initial fine of $720 for violators. Current federal law only requires sharks to arrive to shore with fins attached, but not that the fins cannot be sold after.
"This is a problem requiring international action," said Whit Sheard of Oceana. "This is an attempt by all West Coast states to help address a global issue."
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Brad Witt D-Clatskanie, explained on Friday that he looked forward to joining the global tide against the “barbaric” practice of shark finning. Oregon would join Hawaii as the only other state to officially ban possession and sales of fins, with California already waiting with similar legislation in the wings.
The law would be enforced by state police game officers on a complaint basis, possibly one of the several weaknesses in the bill. The other loophole in the legislation is the exclusion of spiny dogfish from the list of regulated shark fins- a species that brings in 300,000 pounds in landings by fishermen each year. Still, the proposed bill appears to be another sign of a turn in the tide for shark conservation awareness.
