Let your voice be heard

[Sushi Boy]

Thanks for your questions.

Prohibiting shark fin sales in Texas would help to curb the demand side of the equation. There are restaurants in the state offering shark fin soup. By taking a stand and saying "not in our state" we would be joining a growing international movement that recognizes that sharks are much more valuable alive than dead and in a bowl of soup. Already Hawaii, Washington, California, Oregon, Illinois, and Maryland have passed similar legislation. Three other bills from East Coast states now await their governors’ signatures to become laws.

It would also give local law enforcement additional tools to combat poaching in our waters. There are currently commercial fishing vessels from Mexico know as launchas that enter Texas waters illegally and use long lines and gill nets to catch sharks. Unfortunately, these fishing methods are highly indiscriminate and do not target a single species. Profits from sales of shark fins are so high that commercial shark fishermen typically cut off the fins for storage on board and dump the rest of the shark overboard, frequently while still alive. If you're not familiar with the industry, it's worth getting a copy of Sharkwater and sitting down to watch it.

We also have links to several articles and links about the issue on the CHUM site in this thread:
The F Word

I hope that helps a bit. If there are any other questions or comments, please chime in.

 

[Bill Parker]

Shark meat is edible. (I've had a few steaks that were good.) If they harvest a shark they should at least be required to use the entire animal and not cut off the fins and toss everything else back in. What a ridiculous waste that is. And I think the population should be monitored so they don't take too many and deplete them like any other species.

 

[Sushi Boy]

Floating up an old thread, this just hit my radar today:


HB 1579 relating to the sale and purchase of shark fins or products derived from shark fins; creating a criminal offense, is scheduled for a public hearing this Tuesday, March 17th.

Please take a moment to contact your legislators letting them know you support the bill. You can find out who your representatives are here.

 

[Texasguy]

Where can one get shark fin soup in Houston? I don't really know a place. Do you know? Is it really a problem if we collectively don't know a single place?

 

[Sushi Boy]

That's a great question.

The bill isn't intended as much to stop local consumption of shark fins as it is to curtail the distribution and trade networks. Texas has two major international airport as well as one of the largest sea ports in the country. 9 other states have taken the lead in stopping the shark fin trade. As a result, nearly half of all shark fins that move through the US in the distribution networks now go through Texas.