Washington state Senate votes to close loophole on shark fins

By The Associated Press,
March 05, 2013

Two years ago, Washington state lawmakers banned the sale of shark fins but grandfathered in fins bought before July 2011.

The Washington state Senate voted to close that loophole with a 45-4 vote Tuesday. The measure now heads to the House.

Democratic Sen. Kevin Ranker of Orcas Island said the change is necessary because when a handful of restaurants were found recently to still have shark fin soup on the menu, the owners claimed the fins had been in their possession since before the ban.

Either those restaurateurs are breaking the law or they should tell their customers they are serving shark fins that have been sitting in their freezers for a long time, Ranker said.

SB 5081_aSB 5081_b

Leave a Reply