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LAWMAKERS PASS SHARK FINNING BAN AS SESSION ENDS
12/21/10 — Kinship Circle supporters asked legislators to crack down on shark finning, a brutal practice in which fishermen sever
dorsal fins
and dump mutilated sharks into the sea to bleed to death. The Shark Conservation Act of 2009 was quickly approved in the U.S. House of
Representatives. Nearly a year later, the Senate has unanimously passed a similar measure to plug loopholes that allow shark finning in West
Coast
Pacific waters. Lawmakers scored a bipartisan victory for shark conservation by quickly pushing a final version through the House. A universal
ban on
amputation of shark fins (an ingredient for shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy) now heads to President Obama’s desk.
Under the new law, boats must land sharks with fins intact and nonfishing vessels are prohibited from transferring detached fins. Shark
finning was already illegal in Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters. Yet loopholes let Pacific fishermen catch 1.2 million pounds of shark in 2009,
NOAA says. Finning has imperiled populations, with just 3,500 Great Whites free in the wild. It has triggered the deterioration of ocean
ecosystems.
THIS ALERT IS CLOSED. It is a live archive to use as a
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The Honorable Representative
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Senators
The U.S. Senate
U.S. Capitol Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senators and Representative,
I am pleased to learn the U.S. Senate has unanimously passed the Shark Conservation Act of 2009, a measure to plug loopholes that left shark
finning legal in Pacific waters off the West Coast. Fishermen sever dorsal fins and dump mutilated sharks into the sea to bleed to death.
The Act universally bans amputation of shark fins — sought for shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy. It mandates that all boats land sharks
with fins intact and it forbids nonfishing vessels to transfer detached fins.
If you are among those Congress members who supported this legislation, I commend you. I urge Senators and Representatives in conference
committee to swiftly iron out the bill's final version so that the President can sign the Shark Conservation Act into law.
While shark finning was already illegal in Atlantic and Gulf Mexico waters, loopholes allowed negligent fishing in the Pacific. Finning has imperiled
shark populations, with just 3,500 Great Whites free in the wild. It has triggered the deterioration of other ocean species, including hammerheads
and makos.
It is just plain cruel to haul living sharks on to decks, slice off their fins, and toss them back to bleed to death or become defenseless prey at sea.
The Shark Conservation Act helps end this crime against nature and promote conservation worldwide.
Thank you,
YOUR FULL NAME
ADDRESS, CITY, STATE
COUNTRY
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DISCLAIMER: Information in these materials is verified with original source. Kinship Circle does not assume responsibility for accuracy of information or for consequences of its use. Nothing on this website intends to encourage illegal action in whatever country you are reading it in. Kinship Circle does not engage in, nor support, any form of harassment or unlawful action. Nothing in this alert serves to promote such conduct.
EMAIL ADDRESSES: Kinship Circle cannot guarantee validity of email addresses. During a campaign, recipients may change or disable their email addresses. Email addresses obtained from government or other official websites may be outdated or incorrect.
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