With fins from as many as 73 million sharks ending up in the global shark fin market every year, shark fin trading is one of the greatest threats to these apex predators in our oceans. Shark fin trading depends on finning, the barbaric act of hacking off of a shark’s fins, often when the shark is still alive. Without their fins and cast back into the water, the mutilated sharks are unable to swim, inevitably they sink to the bottom and succumb to a slow and painful death by drowning, being eaten alive, or bleeding to death.

 

Ultimately, life on earth depends on healthy oceans. The universal demand for shark fins has resulted in the dramatic decrease of many shark species. Sharks are apex predators in our oceans and in this role are an essential part of healthy fisheries and marine ecosystems. A nationwide ban on trading of shark fins would reduce the international fin trade and improve enforcement of the current finning bans. 

 

H.R. 737 was introduced by Representatives Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D), from the Northern Mariana Islands, and Michael McCaul (R), from Texas to the US House of Representatives on 1/23/19. It had 261 bipartisan co-sponsors and has been passed by the House Natural Resources Committee’s subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife (9/18/19). It was passed by the house 20 Nov 2019 by 310 votes to 107.

 

S.877 was introduced by US Senators Corey Booker (D) from New Jersey and Shelley Moore Capito (R) from West Virginia on 3/26/19 and passed out of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee without amendments 4/3/19. Currently, the Bill has 19 co-sponsors.