Pass the Shark Conservation Act
- by: Oceana
- recipient: U.S. Senate
Every year, millions of sharks are caught for their fins to feed the growing worldwide demand for shark fin soup. And this demand has led to drastic declines in shark populations around the world. Some populations have declined by as much as 99 percent in the past 35 years.
The Shark Conservation Act of 2009 would require that sharks be landed with their fins still attached, thus solving enforcement issues and facilitating better data collection. It also closes a loophole related to the transfer of fins at sea, which allows bad actors to circumvent the current law. Additionally, the bill allows the U.S. to take actions against countries that have weaker protections for sharks.
This act has already passed the House of Representatives and is now awaiting final action in the Senate. This is the perfect time to flood the Senate with letters supporting the act! Tell your Senators that you won't stand for anything less than full protection for sharks!
Dear Senator,
Sharks have been swimming in the world's oceans for more than 400 million years. While sharks have been able to survive periods of global mass extinctions, they have not evolved to withstand destructive fishing practices. The increased catch of these top predators has resulted in ecosystems changes throughout the world's oceans.
The growing demand for shark products, especially for shark fins, has led to drastic declines in shark populations around the world. Some populations have declined by as much as 99% in the past 35 years.
The Shark Conservation Act of 2009 (S. 850) would require that sharks be landed with their fins still attached. This measure would solve enforcement issues and facilitate better data collection for use in stock assessments and quota monitoring. S. 850 also closes a loophole on the transfer of fins at sea, which allowed some bad actors to circumvent the current law. Additionally, the bill allows the U.S. to take actions against countries that have weaker protections for sharks.
[Your comment here]
Sharks are in trouble and we cannot afford to lose such a vital part of the world's oceans. I urge you to support S. 850, the Shark Conservation Act. The oceans depend on it.
