Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle signed a groundbreaking law to protect sharks—an animal often killed and hunted for their fins. Many times after the fins are harvested, the sharks are returned to the ocean to face a slow death.
The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, and Shark Allies thanked the governor and the state’s lawmakers for passing S.B. 2169. The law bans the sale, possession or distribution of shark fins and shark fin products and makes enforcement easier than under previous laws. The bill takes effect July 1, with the ban on shark fin products beginning a year later, July 1, 2011.
One of the bill’s supporters was Democrat Sen. Clayton Hee, a native Hawaiian. He explained that the fish not only play an important role in the ocean ecosystem, they are also considered a deity in Hawaiian tradition. They are called “aumakua,” and their role is to protect the ocean, according to the senator.
Tens of millions of sharks are killed each year for their fins, according to the Humane Society. They breed slowly, and cannot replenish their numbers when slaughtered in such quantities.
“With the passage of this bill, Hawaii has set an example for the rest of the country, if not the world, to follow. Other states are already looking to emulate Hawaii’s law in the coming years,” said Stefanie Brendl, director of Hawaii-based Shark Allies, in a Humane Society news release. The U.S Congress is considering the similar Shark Conservation Act.
The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, and Shark Allies thanked the governor and the state’s lawmakers for passing S.B. 2169. The law bans the sale, possession or distribution of shark fins and shark fin products and makes enforcement easier than under previous laws. The bill takes effect July 1, with the ban on shark fin products beginning a year later, July 1, 2011.
One of the bill’s supporters was Democrat Sen. Clayton Hee, a native Hawaiian. He explained that the fish not only play an important role in the ocean ecosystem, they are also considered a deity in Hawaiian tradition. They are called “aumakua,” and their role is to protect the ocean, according to the senator.
Tens of millions of sharks are killed each year for their fins, according to the Humane Society. They breed slowly, and cannot replenish their numbers when slaughtered in such quantities.
“With the passage of this bill, Hawaii has set an example for the rest of the country, if not the world, to follow. Other states are already looking to emulate Hawaii’s law in the coming years,” said Stefanie Brendl, director of Hawaii-based Shark Allies, in a Humane Society news release. The U.S Congress is considering the similar Shark Conservation Act.
