Shark Conservation Act
Encyclopedia
The Shark Conservation Act of 2010 is a bill passed by the 111th United States Congress
that would amend the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act and the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to improve the conservation of sharks. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives
on March 2, 2009 by voice vote and the Senate on December 20, 2010 by unanimous consent. A record of each representative's position was not kept. The bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama
on January 4, 2011.
The new law prohibits any person from cutting the fins of a shark at sea and from possessing, transferring and landing shark fins (including the tail) that are not "naturally attached to the corresponding carcass". In addition it prohibits any person from landing a shark carcass without its corresponding fins being "naturally attached".
(D
-GU
) the bill had 30 cosponsors in the House and was passed by a voice vote on March 2, 2009. On March 3, 2009 H.R. 81 was received in the Senate and referred to the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
On April 22, 2009 Sen. John Kerry
(D
-MA
) introduced , as a companion bill to HR. 81. On November 19, 2009, the senate bill was reported out of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. The twenty-five member committee voted unanimously to advance the bill.
As of September 29, 2010, S.850 had 33 co-sponsors in the Senate, including Republicans Sens. John McCain
(R
-AZ
), Olympia Snowe
(R
-ME
), Susan Collins
(R
-ME
), and David Vitter
(R
-LA
). The bill passed on December 20, 2010 and was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011.
. According to Discovery News, "[u]p to 73 million sharks are killed annually for their lucrative fins, which can fetch up to $300 per pound mostly in Asian markets as a soup ingredient."
in 2000 the act would close a loophole where a vessel can transport fins obtained illegally as long as the sharks were not finned aboard that vessel. The Humane Society applauded Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU) for reintroducing the Shark Conservation Act and noted that the legislation had been approved by the House of Representatives in the 110th Congress, but failed to be taken up by the Senate.
On July 15, 2009 a group of shark bite victims visited 25 senators and asked the lawmakers to protect sharks and support the act and end finning, where a shark's fins are cut off and the body is discarded.
111th United States Congress
The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of...
that would amend the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act and the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to improve the conservation of sharks. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
on March 2, 2009 by voice vote and the Senate on December 20, 2010 by unanimous consent. A record of each representative's position was not kept. The bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
on January 4, 2011.
The new law prohibits any person from cutting the fins of a shark at sea and from possessing, transferring and landing shark fins (including the tail) that are not "naturally attached to the corresponding carcass". In addition it prohibits any person from landing a shark carcass without its corresponding fins being "naturally attached".
Legislative history
was introduced on January 6, 2009, by Del. Madeleine BordalloMadeleine Bordallo
Madeleine Mary Zeien Bordallo is the Delegate from Guam to the United States House of Representatives.She was the first woman ever to serve as Guam's Delegate, Guam's first female Lieutenant Governor , Guam's first female candidate for Governor , and the first Democratic woman elected to the...
(D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
-GU
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
) the bill had 30 cosponsors in the House and was passed by a voice vote on March 2, 2009. On March 3, 2009 H.R. 81 was received in the Senate and referred to the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
On April 22, 2009 Sen. John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
(D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
-MA
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
) introduced , as a companion bill to HR. 81. On November 19, 2009, the senate bill was reported out of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. The twenty-five member committee voted unanimously to advance the bill.
As of September 29, 2010, S.850 had 33 co-sponsors in the Senate, including Republicans Sens. John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-AZ
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
), Olympia Snowe
Olympia Snowe
Olympia Jean Snowe , née Bouchles, is the senior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. Snowe has become widely known for her ability to influence the outcome of close votes, including whether to end filibusters. She and her fellow Senator from Maine, Susan Collins,...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-ME
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
), Susan Collins
Susan Collins
Susan Margaret Collins is the junior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1996, she is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-ME
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
), and David Vitter
David Vitter
David Vitter is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the suburban Louisiana's 1st congressional district. He served as a member of the Louisiana House of...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-LA
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
). The bill passed on December 20, 2010 and was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011.
Background
The bill is largely intended to protect sharks, and coincides with International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of oceanic sharks naming 64 species, a third of all oceanic shark species, at risk of extinction due to fishing and shark finningShark finning
Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins and the discarding of the rest of the fish. Shark finning takes place at sea so the fishers only have to transport the fins.Shark finning is widespread, and largely unmanaged and unmonitored...
. According to Discovery News, "[u]p to 73 million sharks are killed annually for their lucrative fins, which can fetch up to $300 per pound mostly in Asian markets as a soup ingredient."
Support for the act
The Humane Society of the United States notes that although Congress banned shark finningShark finning
Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins and the discarding of the rest of the fish. Shark finning takes place at sea so the fishers only have to transport the fins.Shark finning is widespread, and largely unmanaged and unmonitored...
in 2000 the act would close a loophole where a vessel can transport fins obtained illegally as long as the sharks were not finned aboard that vessel. The Humane Society applauded Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU) for reintroducing the Shark Conservation Act and noted that the legislation had been approved by the House of Representatives in the 110th Congress, but failed to be taken up by the Senate.
On July 15, 2009 a group of shark bite victims visited 25 senators and asked the lawmakers to protect sharks and support the act and end finning, where a shark's fins are cut off and the body is discarded.
Legislative Summary
| Congress | Short title | Bill number(s) | Date introduced | Sponsor(s) | # of cosponsors | Latest status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 111th Congress | Shark Conservation Act of 2009 | January 6, 2009 | Del. Madeleine Bordallo Madeleine Bordallo Madeleine Mary Zeien Bordallo is the Delegate from Guam to the United States House of Representatives.She was the first woman ever to serve as Guam's Delegate, Guam's first female Lieutenant Governor , Guam's first female candidate for Governor , and the first Democratic woman elected to the... (D Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... -GU Guam Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United... ) |
30 | Passed Unanimously in House. | |
| April 22, 2009 | Sen. John Kerry John Kerry John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W... (D Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... -MA Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... ) |
33 | Reported out of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee unanimously. |