Author: Stacy Fox
Source: KHOU.com
February 18, 2013

The Humane Society of the United States and Shark Stewards praises Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-District 38, and Sen. Larry Taylor, R-District 11, for introducing H.B.852/S.B 572 to prohibit the sale, trade, purchase and transportation of shark fins in Texas. The market for shark fins fuels the cruel and wasteful practice of shark finning, which is banned in the waters off of the United States but remains unregulated in many parts of the world.
 
If passed, Texas would become the sixth state to crack down on the cruel and unnecessary shark fin trade. Similar legislation has been enacted in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon and Washington as well as in the U.S. Pacific territories of Guam, American Samoa and the Marianna Islands.
 
“I am happy to work with The Humane Society of the United States and the Shark Stewards in passing this legislation,” said Rep. Lucio. “The practice of shark finning is detrimental to the Gulf ecosystem and is inhumane. I am committed to eliminating this problem and will focus our efforts in this session.”

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