Legislators consider taking shark fins off menu

Shark fin soup would be banned in Nebraska according to legislation heard by the Judiciary Committee Jan. 31.

LB921, introduced by Omaha Sen. Jeremy Nordquist, would prohibit the sale, possession, trade and distribution of shark fins or products containing shark fins in Nebraska. Violation of the law would be a Class V misdemeanor.

Mark Roberts of DiVentures in Omaha testified in support of the bill. He said that 73 million sharks are killed annually for their fins, putting the animals in danger of extinction. Because all other sea life depend on sharks as “apex predators,” he said, it is only a matter of time before oceans cease to provide food, knowledge and beauty humans have become accustomed to.

Dr. Lee Simmons, former director of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, testified in support of the bill but said it will be difficult to change people’s perceptions that shark fin products are delicacies, especially in Asian cultures.

“It takes a lot of pressure to change a culture, but it can happen,” Simmons said.

There is no nutritional value and little taste to shark fins, said Brett Homme, a student at the Papillion-La Vista Zoo Academy who spoke in support of the bill.

Pat Purkhiser, an instructor at the Academy, said his students investigated the availability of shark fins in Omaha, finding them as well as complete sharks in multiple markets. He also testified in support of the bill.

“I urge you to be stewards of this planet and pass this law,” Purkhiser said.

No one testified in opposition to LB921 and the committee took no immediate action on the bill.