Shark fin soup, after all, remains a pricey delicacy in some Asian cultures, and some 73 million sharks are killed for their fins each year. Typically they are dropped, still alive, back into the ocean where they sink to the bottom and starve to death.
In addition to being cruel on its face, the practice also has environmental and economic implications. Taking that many sharks out of the ocean creates imbalances in ocean ecosystems; populations of smaller fish can grow relatively unchecked, which can cause havoc on shellfish and other sea creature populations, including those that help sustain Florida's seafood economy.
Florida's new law increases the penalty for finning sharks in state waters substantially. It passed overwhelmingly and with bipartisan support during the 2017 legislative session. But environmentalists say that since it doesn't ban the sale and trade of shark fins outright, it will do little to stop the shark fin trade once and for all.
“We appreciate the legislature’s efforts but we remain concerned that this doesn’t go far enough to dissuade the sale of shark fins within the state. The trade in and demand for shark fins incentivize the cruel and illegal finning of sharks, as evidenced in a recent law enforcement action in which authorities seized a boat full of illegal shark fins off the coast of Key West," said Kate McFall, Florida State Director for The Humane Society of the United States, referring to a recent discovery of dozens of illegal fins aboard a shrimp boat near the Keys, in a statement Wednesday.
It is still legal to remove fins of sharks that are caught at sea once they are brought to land, though, which is why advocates for animal welfare and the environment say the bill ought to have more teeth, as similar legislation does in other states.
"Prohibiting the trade and sale of shark fins is intended to protect shark species from finning and other illegal activities. Eleven other states, including Texas, have done so," McFall said. "Florida has a renowned marine conservation and eco-tourism tradition and we must continue to work together to protect sharks.”
This article appears in May 18-25, 2017.