California, and Washington and American Samoa, Guam, and the North Mariana Islands have implemented bans on the sale of shark fins. (13) Shark fins possessed, transported, offered for sale, sold, or purchased anywhere in the United States are part of a large international market, having a substantial and direct effect on interstate commerce. (14) Abolition of the shark fin trade in the United States will remove the United States from the global shark fin market and will put the United States in a stronger position to advocate internationally for abolishing the shark fin trade in other countries. 3. Prohibition on sale of shark fins (a) Prohibition Except as provided in section 4, no person shall possess, transport, offer for sale, sell, or purchase shark fins or products containing shark fins. (b) Penalty A violation of subsection (a) shall be treated as an act prohibited by section 307 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1857 ) and shall be penalized pursuant to section 308(a) of that Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1858(a) ), except that the maximum civil penalty for each violation shall be $100,000, or the fair market value of the shark fins involved, whichever is greater. 4. Exceptions A person may possess a shark fin that was taken lawfully under a State, territorial, or Federal license or permit to take or land sharks, if the shark fin is separated from the shark in a manner consistent with the license or permit and is— (1) destroyed or discarded upon separation