BOSTON — July 21, 2014 — The House and Senate on Thursday sent to Gov. Deval Patrick a bill banning the possession or sale of shark fins (H 4088). The bill allows for fins to be removed only for taxidermy or scientific reasons.
The bill, which would go into effect this September, exempts rays, smooth hounds and spiny dogfish from the legislation. It prohibits the possession or sale of a detached shark fin, creating a punishment of between $500 and $1,000 per fin and up to 60 days imprisonment.
The House and Senate on Thursday sent to Gov. Deval Patrick a bill banning the possession or sale of shark fins (H 4088). The bill allows for fins to be removed only for taxidermy or scientific reasons.
Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, a Gloucester Republican who represents the fisheries on Cape Ann, had joined Sen. Jason Lewis in seeking to curb the “reprehensible” practice of finning that he said goes against the values of the state’s fishing industry.
The bill, which would go into effect this September, exempts rays, smooth hounds and spiny dogfish from the legislation. It prohibits the possession or sale of a detached shark fin, creating a punishment of between $500 and $1,000 per fin and up to 60 days imprisonment.
Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times