Shark Fin Bans Might Not Help Sharks, Scientists Say

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) —A pair of scientists says efforts to ban shark fins in the U.S. might actually harm attempts to conserve the marine predators.

Shark researchers David Shiffman and Robert Hueter say the country is a minor contributor to the worldwide shark fin trade. They say that shutting down its system of sustainable shark fisheries could prompt less regulated fisheries to step in to fill the void.

Shark fins are often used in a soup considered a delicacy in Asia. Environmentalists and animal advocates have long blamed the cuisine for the decline of some shark species.

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey has introduced a bill to prevent the possession or sale of shark fins in America.

The researchers' study appears in the November issue of the journal Marine Policy.