Following Oceanaâ€™s newly released report on the harmful
impacts of illegal fishing, one of the questions that I as
Oceana's Northeast representative was asked most often was,
â€śWhere is this happening?â€ť The short answer: Illegal fishing
happens everywhere, from the most distant waters near Antarctica
to just off the U.S. coast. This week brought great news for
shark populations that are dwindling both in U.S. waters and
worldwide. Today, the Delaware House of Representatives
introduced a bill prohibiting the possession, trade, sale and
distribution of shark fins within the state. If passed, House
Bill 41 would make Delaware the first East Coast state to pass a
ban on the shark fin trade, following in the footsteps of
Oregon, Washington, California, Hawaii and Illinois. Current
federal law prohibits shark finning in U.S. waters, requiring
that sharks be brought into port with their fins still attached.
However, this law does not prohibit the sale and trade of
processed fins that are imported into the coun