The Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act is making progress toward becoming law—last fall, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the legislation, H.R. 737, by an overwhelming 310-107 vote. Now, the U.S. Senate only has until the end of the year to pass its companion bill, S. 877. Contact your Senators today urging them to pass this important bill!
Shark populations are in crisis due to the global trade in shark fins. Every year, fins from as many as 73 million sharks are traded throughout the world to satisfy the hunger for shark fin soup. To provide these fins, fishermen often engage in shark finning—a horrific practice in which they cut off sharks' fins, then toss the mutilated animals back into the ocean where they drown, bleed to death, or are eaten alive by other fish. The shark fin trade has also played a major role in the steep decline of shark species worldwide, some populations of which have dropped by as much as 90 percent in recent decades.
The Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act will prohibit commercial trade of shark fins and products containing shark fins—saving these animals from a devastating fate and helping prevent extinction of species that are key to ocean ecosystems.
Although shark finning is prohibited in U.S. waters, we are one of the world's top importers of shark fins, which consumers in most states can still buy. The United States is also a major transit point for international shark fin shipments. That means our country contributes to shark finning and dwindling shark populations elsewhere in the world.
TAKE ACTION
Please make a brief, polite phone call to your two U.S. Senators. Look up your legislators' phone numbers. You can simply say, "Please pass the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, S. 877, and do all you can to get this legislation, which has already passed the House, enacted quickly to stop the trade of shark fins in the United States."
After making your call, please use the form below to send a follow-up message. Be sure to edit your message so it stands out.