Update: This bill passed the House of Representatives and the Senate Natural Resources Committee, but failed to come up for a Senate floor vote and died on 5/21/13.
Description: HB 852 bans the sale, trade or possession of shark fin. [teaserbreak]
Background: Shark finning is the gruesome practice of cutting a shark’s fins while it is still alive. The shark is then tossed back into the water to slowly bleed to death or drown. One cannot effectively protect sharks without eliminating the market for shark fins. As a keystone species, sharks play a significant role in the ocean ecosystem. Because they reach sexual maturity late in life and typically birth small litters, sharks are particularly susceptible to overfishing. This bill is an important step forward for the protection of sharks and the ocean ecosystem.