The law prohibits any person under U. The Shark Conservation Act requires that all sharks in the United States, with one exception, be brought to shore with their fins naturally attached. There are three rules that implement the requirements of the Shark Conservation Act:. International provisions. Savings clause for individuals who commercially fish for smooth dogfish. Domestic provisions that allow for sustainably managed shark fisheries while eliminating the harmful practice of finning.
Learn more in our exchange of letters with 10 states and territories:. California PDF, 4 pages. Delaware PDF, 3 pages. Hawaii PDF, 3 pages. Maryland PDF, 3 pages. Massachusetts PDF, 3 pages. New York PDF, 4 pages. The practice is banned by many countries and some international agreements. But the sale and consumption of shark fin remains legal in Hong Kong, although products from endangered sharks must be accompanied by a permit.
Viewed as a delicacy and status symbol, shark fin is typically eaten shredded in a jelly-like soup at weddings and family banquets. Mysterious and often misunderstood, the shark family is magically diverse — from glowing sharks to walking sharks to the whale shark, the ocean's largest fish. But these magnificent animals very rarely threaten humans: so why did dolphins get Flipper while sharks got Jaws? Sharks are increasingly considered, like whales, to play a crucial role in ocean ecosystems, keeping entire food chains in balance — and have done so for millions of years.
But these apex predators are now in grave danger. The threats they face include finning in which their fins are sliced off before they are thrown back into the water , warming seas, and being killed as bycatch in huge fishing operations.
Shipments come in daily, often falsely labelled to dodge port checks. The smuggling is as difficult to police on the streets as it is in the ports. Otherwise they will just keep selling whatever fins they get. Cruelty is not the only reason to stop this practice. Another major factor is that shark finning is having a catastrophic effect on shark populations around the world.
Approximately million sharks are killed globally each year. With their slow growth and low reproductive rates, sharks are highly susceptible to extinction. It is difficult for many shark species to replenish their populations as quickly as they are being diminished.
Sharks play a critical role in ocean ecosystem health. They hunt weak members of fish schools and quickly cull the mutated and ill fish before entire fisheries can be affected.
Another detrimental effect is the loss of value for coastal communities. Consuming Shark fins is dangerous. Give em the Fin — A five-year campaign was completed after Sea SaveFoundation was able to get 20, shark advocates from around the world to unite and send a strong message that sharks are important and that shark finning is unsustainable.
Participants held their hand above their head symbolizing a shark fin , took a photograph and uploaded it to our online mosaic. Using Google Maps, we placed geographic pins representing every protective policy and victory that moves us closer to a universal ban of shark finning.
This serves as a resource center as well as a source of inspiration when we want to see how far we have advanced in our battle against shark finning. Week in Review — Every week we round up all the latest ocean-related news stories, summarize and consolidate.
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