Congressman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, Wednesday applauded the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's decision.
Huffman co-authored California's ban in 2011 to put an end to shark finning, the controversial practice of cutting off a live shark's fin and then dumping the shark back into the ocean.
NOAA said it was initially concerned state bans could hurt fishermen who catch sharks for their meat, not their fins.
