For almost two years, Stefanie Brendl and her organisation Shark Allies, supported by the GHOF (Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation), have been fighting for a ban on the shark fin trade in Florida - facing strong resistance from the commercial fishing lobby. Years ago, Stefanie single-handedly motivated governors in Hawaii and California to implement legislative changes. Now she has targeted Florida, one of the main transit hubs for shark fins in the USA and a highly conservative, Republican-leaning state. Many sceptics therefore considered the project impossible from the outset, but such obstacles tend to motivate Stefanie Brendl: together with a team of pro-bono lobbyists, supported by private sponsors and the GHOF, and using a clever political strategy, the goal of banning the shark fin trade in Florida was achieved. The only concession is an exemption (for now) for shark fins landed by domestic, US-licensed fishers. However, the impact of this exemption is fortunately minimal, as the majority of fins in Florida were imported from other countries. Consequently, it is already becoming apparent that no distribution network will remain viable for the tiny residual volume of "domestic" fins, meaning US shark fishers will struggle to find buyers.
Furthermore, it was decided that the FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) will be the first state agency to conduct a study for a final assessment on whether the local trade in fins should also be banned. Stefanie Brendl commented: "I believe that, in the end, this outcome is almost better than a simple fin ban. If this works with the FWC, it would be the first time a fisheries agency has spoken out against the fin trade. Moreover, the FWC is the most influential of the commissions. It will not be easy, and once again I am being told that it is impossible. But I have heard that many times before!"
We congratulate Stefanie Brendl, Shark Allies, Guy Harvey, and all supporters on this highly significant interim victory - and, alongside them, hope for further positive decisions in support of sharks in the USA.
