Driven by demand for shark fin soup, shark fins have become so valuable that many species of this ocean predator are being decimated. It is a particularly cruel business. Every year, tens of millions of sharks end up in the fin trade, caught by fishermen who hack off their fins and, in many cases, toss them back into the ocean to die.

This practice is known as shark finning. It has been banned in the waters of the United States since 2000. But the fins of legally caught sharks can still be sold in much of the country. More troubling, thousands of pounds of fins are being imported into the United States every year — including from countries that allow finning.

Twelve states have banned the trade in shark fins. Now the United States should do the same. A bipartisan proposal that Congress has been considering for more than a year would do just that. The legislation would make it illegal to possess, buy, sell or transport shark fins or any product containing shark fins, effectively shutting the door on imports to and exports from the United States.

The bill passed the Senate Commerce Committee last year and awaits a vote. But in the House, it remains stuck in committee, though 84 House Republicans, including nearly a dozen committee leaders, have signed on as co-sponsors. Congress should make it a priority before the end of the lame duck session to pass the bill and send it to President Trump for his signature.