Texas enacts ban on shark fin trade

[Little Tich]

Source: Yahoo! News / Reuters

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas has banned the trade of shark fins in the state, a move that could end its status as one of the main U.S. centers of activity for the product prized as a delicacy in Chinese cuisine.

Governor Greg Abbott during the weekend signed into law the measure to ban the trade, becoming the 10th U.S. state with such a measure, according to Oceana, an international advocacy group to protect the world's oceans.

Texas is the first Gulf Coast state to no longer participate in the global fin trade that conservationists blame for global declines in sharks.

Texas had seen a 240 percent increase in its trade of shark fin since 2010 when states including California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and New York enacted bans in their states, Oceana said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-enacts-ban-shark-fin-trade-185628244.html

[yuiyoshida]

1. Years ago while visiting Chinatown, friends and I went

to a dim sum place. I remember trying some dim sum and asked what it was. "shark" they said, "from the fin." It had been mixed with pork, cause I could taste that, and don't normally eat pork, so I refused to eat it. I probably would eat the shark fin, if the fishermen didn't make it a habit of cutting off the fin, and and throwing the shark back. They could easily use the rest of the shark, but this is not the practice.

I am happy its banned here, because its a brutal practice to cut off the fin and throw the shark back. If you are going to use the shark, use the entire thing!

[restorefreedom]

2. this has to happen everywhere

and fyi, this is another way the tpp sucks. it has weakened protection and calls for no commitment to end finning on the part of the participating countries. gue$$ why?

[Judi Lynn]

3. Finally! Thank goodness. n/t