plan of action - june 10, 2017

End the Shark Fin Trade

The Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act would ban the sale of shark fins in the United States. While shark finning is illegal in the United States, the existing market here supports the activity in other countries. Shark finning is a cruel and wasteful practice - the fins are cut off live sharks, which are then thrown back into the ocean to bleed to death or be eaten. Many shark species are slow to mature and do not produce many offspring; the practice of shark finning threatens many endangered shark species.

The Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act (H.R. 1456), introduced by Edward Royce (R-CA-39), is a truly bipartisan bill with 110 co-sponsors. The bill would make it illegal to buy, possess, or sell shark fins or any product containing shark fins. A similar Senate bill - S.793 - has been introduced by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).

Action:

If your Member of Congress is one of the co-sponsors of H.R. 1456, contact them to thank them. If they’re not, contact them to ask them to co-sponsor the bill.

If one of your Senators is a co-sponsor of S. 793, contact them to thank them. Otherwise, contact them to ask them to be a co-sponsor.

The House bill has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Water, Power, and Oceans. If your Member of Congress is on this committee, contact them to ask them to release the bill for a vote in the House.

House contact information: www.house.gov
Senate contact information: www.senate.gov