GRANTS PASS — The Oregon House on Friday unanimously passed a bill that would ban the sale of shark fins used in a traditional Chinese soup.

House Bill 2838 now goes to the Senate. The bill prohibits the possession and distribution of shark fins and carries a fine of up to $720 for violations. It makes an exception for spiny dogfish, a small shark that accounts for 300,000 pounds in landings by commercial fishermen each year. Sport fishermen with valid licenses are not affected.

About 150 sharks are caught each year off Oregon, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The fins sell for $299 to $699 a pound at a Chinese market in Los Angeles.

Hawaii has already adopted a ban. A similar ban in Washington state is awaiting the governor’s signature, and another is pending in the California Assembly.