California Bans Shark Fins

Starting in July 2013, no shark fin soup will be available in the state of California. On October 7, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law banning the sale, trade, or distribution of shark fins in the state, joining similar bans in Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. The fins are predominately used for shark fin soup, an expensive Chinese delicacy, and can sell for $600 per pound. “The practice of cutting the fins off of living sharks and dumping them back in the ocean is not only cruel, but it harms the health of our oceans,” Brown wrote in a statement.