Lawmaker takes aim at shark fin sales
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Importing, exporting and selling shark fins would be illegal in Florida, under a proposal filed Thursday by state Rep. Kristin Jacobs, D-Coconut Creek. Jacobs' bill (HB 401), which is filed for the 2020 legislative session, would ban the import, export, and sale of shark fins, an idea that has not passed in prior sessions. In 2017, lawmakers approved increasing penalties for people found in possession of shark fins. However, the proposal initially sought to make it a first-degree misdemeanor to trade or offer for sale shark fins or shark tails. Jacobs' proposal was filed after the national advocacy group Shark Allies and Guy Harvey Enterprises teamed up to spotlight shark-based tourism in Florida.