This added at press time:
Blue Ocean Fellow and shark expert, Dr. Demian Chapman, says: “NOAA is in the tough spot of having to figure out how to allow fishermen that have legally caught sharks in federally-managed fisheries to continue to possess and sell fins in states where the sale of fins is now prohibited, just as they can legally sell the rest of the shark carcass. I do not think that NOAA’s intentions here are anti-shark conservation or pro-finning. NOAA has actually invested quite a bit into shark fisheries management over the past several years. Overturning the state fin bans altogether is drastic, however, when there are several pathways to compromise. The states, for example, could simply exempt federally licensed fishermen and dealers from the ban but maintain it on the retail sale of fins. Fins sold in U.S. retail markets are generally imported because fin processing takes place in Asia. In contrast, fins landed in the U.S. are generally exported for processing and may or may not return to our retail markets. For processed fins imported into the U.S. it is therefore generally unknown where (what country) the fin actually comes from, whether or not their shark fishery is sustainable and whether or not the shark was finned. I think that the state fin bans were mainly set up based on public concern about these uncertainties. So perhaps everyone could live with this particular solution. In any event this is an important debate and it is heartening to see how many people have rallied behind improved shark fisheries management conservation in the past few years.”
Blue Ocean Institute Founder and President, Carl Safina, says: “I respect Demian’s reasonable and informed position. I recognize a tension between federal management of sharks (which has improved) and the will of most people in coastal states who care about the issue, who would mostly prefer not to see shark fins in trade. I myself would rather not see shark fins in trade or any sharks commercially targeted. I imagine the sharks would agree. Reasonable people can disagree, though, and Demian knows this issue as well as anyone and his is an important opinion.”