Elizabeth Wilson, manager of the Pew Environment Group's global shark conservation campaign, issued the following statement on today's introduction of a bill in the New York State Assembly that would prohibit the possession, sale, offering for sale, or distribution of shark fins.
“Shark conservation efforts worldwide are gaining momentum. New York State's proposed shark fin prohibition is a positive step forward as these animals continue to be removed from the world's oceans at unsustainable rates. This is an effort that requires global action. Countries, such as Palau, Honduras, the Maldives, and the Bahamas, have already established sanctuaries that also ban the commercial fishing of sharks in their waters. More comprehensive measures like these are needed in order to protect these top ocean predators from extinction.”