The wasteful practice of finning -- slicing off a shark's valuable fins for soup and tossing the body back to sea -- must be stopped. The situation is grim for a growing number of shark populations who are in peril from overfishing and unsustainable finning -- we must do better.
The U.S. passed a national finning ban in 2000, but the practice continues and is still legal in many other nations. The demand for the fins -- which can sell for up to hundreds of dollars per pound -- remains high for shark fin soup, a delicacy.
The Shark Conservation Act of 2009 closes loopholes in the U.S. finning ban and can revitalize shark conservation efforts on a global scale. It must be passed without further delay. Please join us in sending a powerful message to your senators to end finning and save the sharks!
We took action on “End "Finning" -- Save the Sharks!”!
# 16,082:
4:54 pm PST, Nov 20,Fernandez Delphine, France
# 16,081:
4:21 pm PST, Nov 20,Danielle Cureton, Florida
The decline of sharks affects the entire ecosystem.
# 16,080:
10:19 am PST, Nov 19,Walter Weese, Germany
# 16,079:
9:06 am PST, Nov 19,Kathrin Hofmann, Netherlands
Please, this must stop. It is a crazy
# 16,078:
8:45 am PST, Nov 19,Name not displayed, United Kingdom
Any practice of this nature which does not take into account the conservation of a species should be carried out, if at all, only for serious reasons such as survival of another species . I think shark-fin soup does not come into this category.
# 16,077:
4:35 am PST, Nov 19,Thomas Zinnecker, Germany
# 16,076:
12:48 am PST, Nov 19,Dacia Kee, Singapore
# 16,075:
12:48 am PST, Nov 19,Rumeau Yann christian, Italy
yes for shark conservation act of 2009. we urge the senate to passthereby ensure that the u.s finning ban is the world's best and a model for other contries sincerely, rumeau yann christian
# 16,074:
3:12 pm PST, Nov 18,Ursula Remien, Nevada
This is the worst of the worst, that human, can do to other species, hope we stop this immediately, this and persecute and stop all the Restaurants that sell this soup
# 16,073:
2:57 pm PST, Nov 18,Erica Fredholm, California
# 16,072:
10:31 am PST, Nov 18,Robyn Yanko, Canada
# 16,071:
9:59 am PST, Nov 18,Name not displayed, Norway
# 16,070:
7:16 pm PST, Nov 17,Keling Liu, Taiwan
Save the ocean!!
# 16,069:
12:12 pm PST, Nov 17,Maggie Rolandi, Wisconsin
# 16,068:
10:14 am PST, Nov 17,Name not displayed, Utah
# 16,067:
9:16 pm PST, Nov 16,Name not displayed, Pennsylvania
Sharks are importent for the ecosystem. . then pretty soon there will be baldeagle hats..
# 16,066:
4:34 pm PST, Nov 16,Jamie Kelley, Colorado
Swim with the sharks and you will understand why they are so important to the ocean
# 16,065:
4:24 pm PST, Nov 16,Vermetta Wilcoxson, Michigan
It is important to close the loopholes because sharks are still hunted for their fins. We as a society must open our eyes to the wholesale slaughter of the ocean's apex preditor. As an apex predator sharks have the burden of controlling the prey species and keeping the numbers in check. If you remove the apex predator then the prey species will be allowed to go unchecked. This will bring about unchecked growth in the prey species populations. Many of the species that sharks prey on can cause serious damage to the reef structures. Allowing the wholesale killing of sharks will have a trickle down effect that we as a society are not prepared to deal with.
# 16,064:
3:42 pm PST, Nov 16,Theresia Cronan, California
# 16,063:
11:51 am PST, Nov 16,Thomas Shields, United Kingdom
# 16,062:
8:24 am PST, Nov 16,Gilbert Lemay, Canada
I urge the senate to pass bill S. 850 that would have a profound effect in the protection of our one and only beautiful planet. The fact of the matter is if we don't save the sharks we could end up like them dead !
# 16,061:
5:54 am PST, Nov 16,Patricia Ragazzon, United Kingdom
# 16,060:
1:42 am PST, Nov 16,Sylvia Stevens, France
If you need more convincing, watch the DVD Sharkwater and you will no longer be in any doubt
# 16,059:
11:12 pm PST, Nov 15,Michaela Stevens, France
Please, this must stop. It is a crazy, pointless destruction and it can only result in dire consequences for our planet.
# 16,058:
1:54 pm PST, Nov 15,Name not displayed, Germany
Shark were killed because of their fins, but this is only 5% of the whole body. Sharks are importent for the ecosystem of the ocean and because of that for ous.
A finning ban only make sense without loopholes.
# 16,057:
6:50 am PST, Nov 15,Nancy Juskowich, Pennsylvania
Please just do the right thing! It cannot be that hard!! That is what we are supposed to do!
# 16,056:
8:47 pm PST, Nov 14,Allison Moore, Washington
Sharks keep the ecological balance in coral reefs. When sharks are removed, smaller predators destroy the corals. Could any killing of an animal be more inhumane than to take it just for it's fin and leave it to suffer an agonizing death? This must stop, people who do this are not good people.
# 16,055:
6:34 pm PST, Nov 14,Name not displayed, Finland
# 16,054:
4:11 pm PST, Nov 14,Name not displayed, United Kingdom
# 16,053:
1:02 pm PST, Nov 14,Fredrik Myhre, Norway
Dear Sir/Madam,
I urge you to vote "YES" on S. 850, The Shark Conservation Act of 2009.
By closing loopholes in the Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000, this bill will help put an end to the wasteful practice of "finning" -- slicing off a shark's valuable fins for soup and tossing the body back to sea -- and ensure the U.S. is a leader in shark conservation.
Our Ocean's guardians are in deep trouble because of our human activities and it's time to act in order to save our seas.
As you may know the sharks are the top predators of the deep and are on top in almost every foodchain in the ocean. The last two decades the shark populations world wide has declined by as much as 90 %. Up to 100 millions sharks are killed brutally by the sharkfinning industry every year. Removing the top-predators will be like cutting of the head of the foodchains and thereby changing the Sea forever.
Earth's history shows that everytime there is a huge change of life in the Ocean, an equally change occur on land. This is not just a letter asking you to contribute saving the sharks, but just as much save our selves.
We urge the Senate to pass this important bill and thereby ensure that the U.S. finning ban is the world's best and a model for other countries.
Thank You!
Best Regards
Fredrik Myhre
Marine Biologist
# 16,052:
9:49 am PST, Nov 14,Name not displayed, United Kingdom
# 16,051:
9:37 am PST, Nov 14,Ted Cheeseman, California
Sharks are critical to ocean ecology, and their overfishing is a waste of a wonderful group of species.
