DOVER, Del. (AP)- The state House has passed a bill outlawing the possession, sale, and distribution of shark fins in Delaware.
The bill, which passed unanimously on Thursday, is aimed at helping end the practice known as shark finning, in which a shark is caught, its fins cut off and the carcass dumped back in the water.
Supporters note that the practice of shark finning already is prohibited by federal law and state regulations, but the possession, sale and distribution of shark fins themselves is not.
Shark fin soup is considered a delicacy and status symbol in some Asian cultures, but critics say harvesting sharks just for their fins is both barbaric and leads to overfishing of sharks.
