|
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 7, 2009) – On the opening
day of the 111th Congress, Representative Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU),
chairwoman of the House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee
on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans, reintroduced the Shark
Conservation Act of 2009 (H.R. 81). A similar measure, to strengthen
the Shark Finning Prohibition Act, was passed by the House of
Representatives on a voice vote in July 2008, however, the Senate
was unable to take action on the bill before the session ended
necessitating its reintroduction in this Congress.
In 2000, President Bill Clinton signed
the Shark Finning Prohibition Act in an effort to curb the wasteful
and inhumane practice of shark finning - whereby the fins of a
living shark are removed and the animal is thrown back in the water
to die. This legislation made it unlawful to possess a shark fin in
US waters without a corresponding carcass. Unfortunately,
enforcement has been hampered by loopholes in the ban and finning
has continued. The Shark Conservation Act of 2009 strengthens the
original ban by requiring that sharks be landed with their fins
naturally attached to their bodies. Enforcement officials have
stated that this requirement is the only way to enforce a shark
finning ban. In
introducing the measure, Congresswoman Bordallo said, “Removing
these top predators drastically changes the food web structure,
marine diversity, and ecosystem health. Addressing the practice of
shark finning is an imperative step toward the conservation of
sharks and marine ecosystems.”
Sharks are extremely slow to recover from overfishing because they
mature late in life, grow slowly and have very small populations.
Unlike other fish, 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. The rising demand for shark fin soup has been cited as a
leading cause of their demise.
“We look forward to working with
Chairwoman Bordallo on this critical legislation and encourage
Congress to act swiftly on its enactment,” said Serda Ozbenian of
the Animal Welfare Institute. “In 2000, Congress acted appropriately
on a bill that would end this practice. Sadly, in spite of the ban,
some exploited a loophole and continued finning sharks. This
bi-partisan bill will close that loophole to reflect what Congress
originally intended.”
##30##
For More
Information:
Serda Ozbenian – 202-446-2144
For over 58 years, the Animal Welfare
Institute has been the leading voice for animals across the country
and on Capitol Hill to reduce the sum total of pain and fear
inflicted on animals by humans. To learn more about us, please visit
www.awionline.org. |
