Update: This bill failed to pass before the session ended.
Bill description:
This bill prohibits the possession, sale, offer for sale, trade, or distribution of shark fins in Nebraska. The penalty is a Class II misdemeanor.[teaserbreak]
Background:
Shark finning is a particularly cruel practice in which people cut the fins off live sharks and return their bodies to the water where the sharks inevitably die. The animals who are cast back into the ocean suffer slow, painful deaths by drowning or blood loss.
Shark finning does not threaten just a few sharks, but 73 million sharks every year worldwide. Many of these sharks are endangered species. Sharks reach maturity later in life than other fish and have small litters of offspring, making them highly susceptible to overfishing.
Shark fins are most commonly used in shark fin soup, an Asian dish that connotes wealth and status.
Take Action:
Nebraska residents, ask your legislators to reintroduce this bill!