US-based conservation group Shark Savers reports that the California state Senate has passed a historic bill banning trade in shark fins, following similar bans by Hawaii, Washington, and Oregon earlier this year.
California AB 376 makes it unlawful for any person to possess, sell, offer for sale, trade, or distribute a shark fin. The bill was sponsored by Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Asian Pacific American Ocean Harmony Alliance and supported by a diverse coalition of organizations that included Shark Savers and thousands of individuals.
The bill effectively closes all US ports on the west coast from contributing to the shark fin trade, which is responsible for an estimated 26-73 million sharks killed every year.