Maryland Senate Approves a Statewide Ban on Shark Fins

Following a 42-4 vote, the Maryland Senate has approved a bill that would ban the possession, sale, and distribution of shark fins—typically used in shark fin soup, a traditional Chinese delicacy. As the bill advances to the House of Delegates for review, Maryland could soon become the first East Coast state to ban the controversial trade, which conservationists say is responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of sharks annually. “The unsustainable demand for shark fins has had a devastating impact on shark populations worldwide, and this bill makes clear that Maryland will no longer contribute to the cruelty,” says Tami Santelli, senior state director of the Humane Society of the United States Maryland. California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington enacted similar bills last year.