Victory! Senate Passes Shark Finning Bill - Oceana USA
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December 20, 2010

Victory! Senate Passes Shark Finning Bill

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Yet another victory today, if you can believe it. In a last minute vote, the U.S. Senate passed the Shark Conservation Act, which will end shark finning in U.S. waters.

Each year, commercial fishing gear kills more than 100 million sharks worldwide – including tens of millions for just their fins, for use in shark fin soup. Landing sharks with their fins still attached allows for better enforcement and data collection for stock assessments and quota monitoring.

The Shark Conservation Act improves the existing law originally intended to prevent shark finning, and it also allows the U.S. to take action against countries whose shark finning restrictions are not as strenuous. The passage of this bill signals the U.S.’s ongoing commitment to shark conservation.

Only one step stands in the way of this bill becoming law — it returns to the House for one final vote to accept the Senate’s version of the legislation. We’re almost there…

Thanks to all of you who helped us — and the sharks — get this far!