Shark finning, the process of cutting fins from live sharks at sea, has increased over the past decade due to the rising demand for shark fin soup. Since shark meat is considered to be of low value and not worth the cost of transporting the bulky bodies to shore, fishermen catch sharks, cut off their fins, and throw the still-living sharks back into the water. The finless sharks sink to the ocean floor where they die slow and horrifically painful deaths from drowning, starvation, or being eaten by other fish. An estimated 100 million sharks die in this way each year.
Senator John Kerry (D-MA) has introduced the Shark Conservation Act of 2009 to help close existing legal loopholes and end shark finning in U.S. waters. This bill has already passed the House of Representatives and is awaiting action in the Senate.
Urge your Senators to co-sponsor the Shark Conservation Act of 2009.
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