California Legislation Takes a Bite Out of Shark Fin Trade

The controversy over the shark fin market is nothing new, but recent California legislation, introduced February 2011, is bringing it to the surface again.  If passed, it will be illegal to possess, sell, trade or distribute shark fins except for educational purposes in the state of California.  This bill is being backed by organizations such as Monterey Bay Aquarium and Shark Savers, who argue that the fishing methods used for obtaining shark fins are unethical and environmentally dangerous.

Environmental Dangers of Shark Fin Trade
Shark fins have a limited market: most of them end up in Shark Fin Soup, a traditional Chinese dish often served for special occasions.  Some politicians have interpreted the California bill as an attack on Chinese culture, but the problem is not nearly so simple.  Shark fin soup is both unhealthy for the consumer and non-sustainable for the environment, as overfishing of the shark population throws the ocean's eco-system out of balance.

It is illegal to harvest sharks for their fins in U.S. waters, but shark fins can be legally imported and sold in the U.S.  Bill AB 376 would change that, making shark fin soup an illegal recipe in the state of California.  According to Shark Savers, 73 million sharks are killed for shark fin soup each year, putting these animals at risk of extinction.  Particularly deplorable is the cruel and wasteful practice of "sharkfinning," in which wild sharks are caught, fins are cut off, and then the damaged sharks are thrown back into the ocean. Shark fins fetch a high price at up to $500 per pound, making this a lucrative market that fishers might resist giving up, but the environmental cost is much higher.

Health Dangers of Shark Fins
Seafood Watch, run by Monterey Bay Aquarium, includes nearly all types of shark on its list of seafoods to avoid.  The reasons for this are not only the unethical practices used in catching wild sharks and the risk to shark populations, but also the mercury level present in both shark meat and shark fins.  According to a study by the USEPA, shark contains more mercury than any other fish species currently used for human consumption.  Mercury poisoning can cause sterility and central nervous system damage, and may negatively affect the brain development of a fetus.

At the time of this article, the bill to ban shark fins in California has not yet been turned to law, but the arguments for shark fin soup's cultural value are unlikely to stop the bill from passing.  A similar law is already in effect in Hawaii, and the state of Washington also recently proposed a bill against the importation of shark fins.  Still, the bill must receive a majority vote in order to succeed in banning shark fins.

Photo Credit:  mtarlock