Bills to ban possession, sale and trade of fins

Passage of the shark fin bill in Hawaii in June 2010 has sparked introduction of a series of similar bills in other areas of the Pacific. Setting a precedent and bringing hope that increased protection is possible, the Hawaii bill has created a movement that is picking up more momentum every month.

This is truly an exciting time for shark activists, as finally, we seem to be gaining some ground.

One fact remains a bit frustrating, but should not discourage or devalue any of the efforts – none of the bills have managed to stay as straightforward and strong as the Hawaii bill.

The Washington bill has fairly weak penalties, (taking gear and permit, but no fees); the US Federal Act has an exemption for Spiny dogfish and their fins, and so does the Oregon bill; the CNMI and Guam have exemption for subsistence fishing and Guam also added a few dubious regulations that can be “revisited” every five years.

Some of the loopholes may not turn out to be an issue and a lot will be determined by the way each State/Country decides to actually enforce the measures.

Also, each jurisdiction has different stakeholders and concerns, depending on whether there are viable commercial fisheries, how the Chinese community reacts to the banning of shark fin soup, and how the native populations feels about sharks in general. Additionally, each measure has to comply with fisheries regulations and possible federal regulations already in place.

So each bill has to be custom tailored to the needs of the area. All we can do is battle for the best possible version that will actually have a chance to pass.

I believe every step towards more protection is a step in the right direction even if it isn’t perfect. With each victory we get a little closer to our ultimate goal, which is to ban the trade of fins in the countries that consume shark fin soup.

Stefanie Brendl