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| © 2008 JupiterImages Corporation |
| Many value only the fin. |
By Susie Watts
Humane Society International today applauded the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources for its decision to increase protection for one of the most vulnerable groups of species in the ocean.
The Shark Conservation Act (H.R. 5741), as approved today by the Committee, makes it illegal to remove the fins from a shark at sea.
Finning: A Brutal Death, and a Waste
Each year, around the world, tens of millions of sharks have their fins brutally hacked off, often while still alive, and are then thrown back overboard. This practice, known as shark “finning,” is a space-saving measure: the low-value meat takes up too much freezer space while the fins fetch very high prices on east Asian markets. Because of the increasing demand for shark fin soup, U.S. and foreign fleets have profited from finning huge numbers of sharks.
Closing the Loopholes
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| © 2008 JupiterImages Corporation |
| Sharks are one step closer to better protection. |
The new Act closes two major loopholes in the Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000, in that vessels are no longer permitted to transport the fins from finned sharks, even if they were simply transshipped from another vessel. The second loophole allowed fishers to remove the fins from sharks, provided that, once landed and weighed at port, the fins made up only a certain proportion of the weight of the carcasses. While designed to prevent finning, this in fact allowed a great deal of room for cheating. The new clause that requires all sharks to be landed with their fins attached will make cheating impossible.
An Unsustainable Catch
Shark fins take up little space and can be dried on deck, without the need for freezing. The net effect is that there is no natural brake on the volume of sharks being caught. “Finning allows fishers to take sharks in totally unsustainable volumes” said Patricia Forkan, President of HSI, “and we are now seeing increasing numbers of shark species added to the endangered list. This new law represents a great step forward in the regulation of US shark fisheries and, owing to the highly migratory nature of many shark species, constitutes a very positive contribution to the global effort to conserve these magnificent creatures. We applaud Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam) for her work in getting this Act passed.
Conservationists are increasingly concerned that many shark species are being decimated around the world as a result of finning, overfishing and the lack of management of shark fisheries at national, regional and global level.
Now, the Act awaits action before the full House.
