Dear Senator _______________________________,

I am writing to ask your support for the Shark Conservation Act of 2009 (S. 850), introduced in the Senate on April 22, 2009.

For over 400 years, sharks have been top predators in the ocean food chain, playing a critical role in population control and species diversity. But today, sharks are disappearing at an alarming rate. Shark populations around the world - including many shark species in the waters of the United States - have declined by 80% or more since the 1970s.

Driven by the lucrative shark-fin soup market, the greatest threat facing sharks is a cruel and wasteful practice called finning which involves cutting off the shark’s fins and discarding the mutilated carcass at sea. In 2000 Congress passed the Shark Finning Prohibition Act, setting the stage for international conservation efforts by giving sharks a safe haven from finning in all U.S. waters. However, an unanticipated loophole allows U.S. flagged vessels to skirt these important conservation measures by purchasing fins on the high seas from fishermen engaged in finning. The fins are then brought back to the United States and sold for steep profits.

The Shark Conservation Act closes this loophole. In addition, the Act will promote international shark conservation efforts by allowing sanctions to be imposed on nations that have not implemented shark fishing regulations consistent with those placed on U.S. fishermen.

Most importantly, the Shark Conservation Act strengthens enforcement of the U.S. shark finning ban by requiring all sharks landed within the United States and its territories to have their fins naturally attached. Current law permits fishermen to detach the fins at sea, posing a significant challenge to enforcement authorities.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you about this important issue.

Sincerely,

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