US retreats from bid to overturn shark fin bans

The US federal government has stepped back from its plans to overturn state bans on the sale and possession of shark fins.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) said in a statement on Tuesday it had decided against challenging state bans in California, Maryland and Washington.

The agency said it had received written assurances from the three states that the shark fin ban would not interfere with legal fishing for shark meat.

Noaa said it had initially been concerned the state bans could hurt fishermen who caught sharks for their meat, not their fins.

"It was important for Noaa to confirm that these state laws did not restrict the possession of shark fins in a way that would create problems for fishermen fishing legally for sharks in federal waters," the agency said in a statement.

Environmental groups accused the agency last week of trying to undermine the state bans on shark fin, which they argued that dramatically reduced the slaughter of sharks.

Up to 100 million sharks are killed every year for their fins, according to recent estimates. The fins are seen as a high-end ingredient in soups.

In 2010, Congress passed a law banning the cruel practice of finning – cutting off the fin at sea and abandoning the animal to die. But eight states and three territories went further, banning the sale and possession of shark fins.

Environmental groups say the ban on shark fin sales has been more effective in stopping the killing of sharks.