Governor Martin O’Malley Signs House Bill 1148 and SB 592 into Law
In response to Gov. Martin O’Malley signing into law House Bill 1148 and Senate Bill 592, legislation banning the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins, The Humane Society of the United States Maryland state director Tami Santelli issued the following statement.
“The unsustainable demand for shark fins has had a devastating impact on shark populations worldwide, and this decisive action makes it clear that Maryland will no longer contribute to this wasteful cruelty. We thank Governor O’Malley for signing this bill into law and making Maryland the first state on the East Coast to join the international movement to protect sharks by shutting down the market for shark fins.”
Maryland joins California, Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon and Washington – as well as all three U.S. Pacific territories of Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands – in passing laws to provide critical protection to sharks and for the health of the world’s ocean ecosystems. Delaware, New York and Texas also have bills pending on this issue, and The HSUS urges lawmakers in those states to follow Maryland’s lead and help to stop the brutal and wasteful killing of sharks for their fins.
