One Million Dollars of Shark Fins Recently Seized February 10, 2020

The recent seizure of more than 1,000 pounds of shark fins in Miami from potentially protected species demonstrates why we need a federal shark fin ban," said Ariana Spawn, an ocean advocate at the nonprofit advocacy group Oceana  as reported by CNN. While it is illegal in the U.S. to cut off a fin from a live shark and discard the rest of the animal, it is not illegal to traffic or trade shark fins in the U.S.

The shark fin soup trade has decimated shark populations. According to a 2018 study, shark populations such as hammerhead and oceanic white tip have declined by more than 90 percent. Furthermore, nearly 60 percent of shark species are now threatened, as reported by CNN. #Hookandtackle is a sponsor and licensee of the University of Miami Shark Research Program and is promoting to protect this species.