RCW 77.15.770
Findings- 2011 c 324 : "The legislature finds and declares the following:
(1) The practice of shark finning, where a shark is caught, its fins are sliced off while it is still alive, and the animal returned to the sea severely and almost always fatally wounded, constitutes a serious threat to Washington's coastal ecosystem and biodiversity. Sharks are particularly susceptible to overfishing because they only reach sexual maturity between seven to twelve years of age and hatch or birth small litters. The destruction of the population of sharks, which reside at the top of the marine food chain, is an urgent problem that upsets the balance of species in the ocean ecosystem.
(2) Shark finning condemns millions of sharks every year to slow, painful deaths. Returned to the water without their fins, the maimed sharks are attacked by other predators or drown, because most shark species must swim in order to push water through their gills. Shark finning is therefore a cruel practice contrary to the good morals of the citizens of the state of Washington.
(3) The market for shark fins drives the brutal practice of shark finning. Shark finning and trade in shark fins and shark fin derivative products are occurring all along the Pacific Coast, including the state of Washington.
(4) The consumption of shark fins and shark fin derivative products by humans may cause serious health risks, including risks from mercury." [2011 c 324 s 1.]