SHARK CONSERVATION ACT OF 2009
INTRODUCED IN THE SENATE
Please contact your Senators
for their support
4/23/09 On Earth
Day, April 22, 2009, the Shark Conservation Act of 2009 (S .850)
was introduced in the Senate by John Kerry (D-MA). Last month,
the U.S. House of Representatives passed identical legislation,
H.R. 81. The Act would strengthen the U.S. shark finning ban and
encourage other countries to implement comparable regulations
or face U.S. sanctions. This is a major victory for sharks because
the fins-on requirement, which applies to all vessels landing
sharks within the United States and its territories, would not
only help enforcement of the United States shark finning ban,
it would also assist in the identification of sharks, improving
our understanding of shark populations. Special
thanks to all of our NCMC members who wrote to their Representatives
in support of this important legislation!
The bill is currently with the Senate Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and must be approved
by the committee before it can be voted on by the full Senate.
Please contact your Senators and ask their
support for the Shark Conservation Act of 2009.
If you reside in any of the states represented by the list of
committee members (below), a letter to your Senator would be of
great immediate value. Ultimately, we will need the
support of the full Senate to see that this bill is enacted by
the 111th Congress.
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Senate Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation
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| Chairman John D. Rockefeller, IV
(WV) |
Mark Begich (AK) |
| Daniel K. Inouye (HI) |
Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX) |
| John F. Kerry (MA) |
Olympia J. Snowe (ME) |
| Byron L. Dorgan (ND) |
John Ensign (NV) |
| Barbara Boxer (CA) |
Jim DeMint (SC) |
| Bill Nelson (FL) |
John Thune (SD) |
| Maria Cantwell (WA) |
Roger Wicker (MS) |
| Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ) |
Johnny Isakson (GA) |
| Mark Pryor (AR) |
David Vitter (LA) |
| Claire McCaskill (MO) |
Sam Brownback (KS) |
| Amy Klobuchar (MN) |
Mel Martinez (FL) |
| Tom Udall (NM) |
Mike Johanns (NE) |
| Mark Warner (VA) |
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You can find your senators contact information
on the Senates web site, http://www.senate.gov.
SAMPLE LETTER:
|
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 sharks 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,
Your Name
Address
City, State, Zip
email address
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National Coalition for Marine Conservation
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