Guam Bans Shark Finning

Guam, an island in the western Pacific Ocean, recently passed a bill banning the finning and feeding of sharks, as well as the sale of shark or ray fins. Shark finning—a practice which kills around 73 million sharks per year—involves fishermen cutting off the fin and tail of a shark and returning the animal to the water to die. The US territory, a major fishing hub in the Pacific, joins Hawaii in banning the possession, sale, and distribution of shark fins. Currently, 30 percent of shark species are threatened with extinction.