The Dorsal Fin

Discovery Networks recently uploaded the video above to their YouTube channel which focuses on recently passed legislation in Chile, Honduras, and the Bahamas that helps to protect sharks within those countries’ waters. Honduras and the Bahamas have recently banned commercial fishing making their waters a “shark sanctuary,” while Chile has banned the practice of shark finning.

DaytimeTVShow has recently uploaded a video feature on National Geographic’s “Shark Men.” The video includes an interview with Chris Fischer and covers shark finning, shark conservation efforts, and catching great white sharks.

On a side note, the feature makes the claim that 90 million sharks are killed for their fins each year. As has been noted in the past, research published in 2006 indicates that an estimated An estimated 26 million to 73 million sharks are killed annually for commercial markets.

The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that the California Assembly “overwhelmingly approved” (62-8 vote) a measure that could ban the sale and distribution of shark fins in the state. The bill (AB376) will now move on to the state Senate. If the bill is approved by the Senate, the shark fin ban will take effect on January 1, 2013.

The bill has been somewhat controversial since the ban of shark fins would result in making shark fin soup illegal. The soup is regarded as a Chinese delicacy. Opponents of the bill have claimed that the bill targets Asian cultures unfairly.

Washington has banned the trade and sale of shark fins.

The Seattle Times is reporting that Washington’s Governor Chris Gregoire has signed a shark fin ban into law. Senate Bill 5688 prohibits the sale or trade of shark fins or shark fin derivatives in the state. The bill passed unanimously in the state Senate and by a vote of 95 to 1 in the House.

Shark fins are primarily used for shark fin soup. The practice of shark finning can involve cut the fins off of live sharks and dumping the rest of the animal back into the sea to drown. Supporters of the bill hope that it will reduce pressure on the world’s shark populations.

Along the same lines as the PSAs mentioned in the previous post, the Pew Environment Group and The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) have also released the above PSA, which features plenty of underwater shark footage and touches on both the economic value of shark tourism in The Bahamas and the environmental value of sharks to the marine ecosystem.