Protect Sharks, Close the Loopholes

The Senate Commerce Committee will consider passage of the Shark Conservation Act of 2009 (S. 850) this Thursday.

Sharks are the oceans’ top predators. Powerful and perfectly adapted, they have roamed the seas for hundreds of millions of years, predating dinosaurs. Unfortunately, many species of sharks are now threatened with extinction, but not from natural causes. The wasteful practice of “finning” (slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea) is a leading threat confronting sharks. Shark fins are used for the delicacy shark fin soup and up to 73 million sharks are killed each year to support the global fin trade. The Shark Conservation Act of 2009 would close major loopholes in the U.S. finning ban and promote shark conservation globally.

Take action to end shark finning. Please send a letter to your Senator on the Senate Commerce Committee today calling for passage of the Shark Conservation Act of 2009 (S. 850) without amendments. With many shark species threatened by extinction, there is no better time to act.

Tell me more

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

(Edit Letter Below)

The Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled to consider the Shark Conservation Act of 2009 (S. 850) this week. Among other things, this legislation ends the wasteful practice of "finning" in U.S. waters. Up to 73 million sharks are killed annually for their fins, which are used for the delicacy "shark fin soup."

Many know sharks by their reputation as scary ocean predators.  However, few know that shark populations are facing severe declines all around the world, with unpredictable consequences to our ocean ecosystems. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimates that more than half of highly migratory sharks are either overexploited or depleted.

A driving factor in this decline is a wasteful practice known as "finning," which involves the removal of a shark's fin, while the rest of the body is discarded at sea, oftentimes still alive. While this legislation would stop finning in US waters for good, some have voiced an interest in exempting certain shark species from this law.  Creating more loopholes is not the intent of S. 850.  In order to help shark populations rebound, its provisions must apply to all sharks in all regions of the U.S.  Please vote no on any such unacceptable amendments to exempt.

The Shark Conservation Act of 2009 (S. 850) would eliminate loopholes in our current law and help sharks by:

- Requiring sharks are brought to port with their fins attached to their bodies on all U.S. coasts;

- Prohibiting all U.S. flagged vessels from having custody, control or possession of shark fins without the corresponding carcass (not just fishing vessels); and

- Granting U.S. authorities to identify and enter into consultations with countries lacking comparable shark conservation measures - promoting the end of shark finning around the world.

As a constituent, I urge you to support the Shark Conservation Act of 2009 (S. 850) and oppose any amendments that would weaken this bill. By swiftly passing this legislation, you can close destructive loopholes and help reverse the gradual disappearance of a top predator in our oceans.

Thank you for your support of S. 850 and of balanced ocean ecosystems.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

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