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WASHINGTON,
D.C. (July 9, 2008) – Yesterday, the House of
Representatives unanimously voted in favor of H.R. 5741, the Shark
Conservation Act of 2008. Introduced earlier this year by
Subcommittee Chairwoman Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU), the measure
tightens the Shark Finning Prohibition Act, which was signed into
law in 2000. Later in the
day, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) introduced S. 3231, an identical
version of the Shark Conservation Act, in the US Senate. Senator
Kerry has a long history of advocating for the protection of marine
life, including sharks, and he was a lead sponsor of the Shark
Finning Prohibition Act.
Since the original bill’s passage,
the cruel and wasteful practice of shark finning – whereby the fins
of a living shark are removed and the animal is thrown back in the
water to die – has been illegal in the United States, but
enforcement has been hampered by loopholes in the ban. "Sharks are
vital to the health of marine ecosystems, but the practice of shark
finning is driving their decline worldwide," said Chairwoman
Bordallo. The Shark Conservation Act offers sharks much-needed
protection by imposing a ban on shark finning which requires that
sharks be landed with their fins still attached to their bodies.
“It’s wonderful to see the House
take this critical step forward in shark conservation. The Animal
Welfare Institute commends Chairwoman Bordallo for her leadership on
this important issue. We look forward to working with Senator Kerry
and his colleagues in the Senate to secure enactment of the Shark
Conservation Act of 2008.” said AWI president Cathy Liss.
Sharks are extremely slow to
recover from overfishing because they mature late in life, grow
slowly and have very small populations. Unlike their fish relatives,
sharks produce a handful of pups instead of a large number of eggs.
Despite their biology and the increasing warnings from experts that
sharks are disappearing, millions of sharks are targeted for their
fins and millions more die annually as bycatch.
Since the bill places no
restrictions on shark fin imports, AWI still encourages consumers to
avoid restaurants that sell shark fin products. A list of these
establishments and a fact sheet on the practice of shark finning are
available on the AWI website at
www.awionline.org/oceans/Fisheries/Shark_Fin.htm. If you find a
restaurant selling shark fin products that is not listed, please
send an email with the contact information to
nosharkfinning@awionline.org.
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For More
Information Contact:
Serda Ozbenian, AWI: (703) 836-4300 |
