# Congress Introduces Legislation to Ban Trade of Shark Fins in US

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2016/06/congress-introduces-legislation-to-ban-trade-of-shark-fins-in-us/
- Published: 2016-06-28T01:44:41-04:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

Days before Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, award-winning actor and longtime Oceana
advocate Morgan Freeman joined Oceana and Members of Congress to announce the introduction
of  a new bill to ban the trade of shark fins in the United States. The bipartisan
Shark Fin Trade Elimination Act of 2016 was introduced today by Sens. Cory Booker(
D-NJ) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Reps. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (
I-MP) and Ed Royce (R-CA). While the act of shark finning is illegal in U.S. waters,
shark fins continue to be bought and sold throughout the United States.

# Morgan Freeman

“My fascination with science and nature was sparked by work with Discovery Science
on ‘Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman’.  For it inspired me to intensify 
my work to protect our planet’s inhabitants,” said Freeman.

“Sharks are being killed for their fins. That’s much like rhinos and elephants. 
For they have been decimated due to the demand for their horns and tusks. While 
shark finning is banned in U.S. waters, we continue to buy. Also sell and trade 
shark fins throughout the country. By allowing the trade of shark fins within our
borders, the U.S. continues to contribute to this global problem. The Shark Fin 
Trade Elimination Act would not only get the U.S. out of the shark fin trade business.
Yet it would also reinforce the status of the United States as a leader in [shark conservation](https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/08/shark-conservation-protecting-our-ocean-giants/).**”**

[⌊Oceana shark ⌉⌊Oceana shark ⌉[

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Oceana](https://greenlivingguy.com/2019/10/ted-danson-and-alexandra-cousteau-headline-oceanas-seachange-summer-party/)
also released a new report today. Thereby demonstrating why Congress needs to pass
a federal ban on the buying and selling of shark fin products. The demand for shark
fins is one of the greatest threats facing shark populations around the world.  
In fact, fins from as many as 73 million sharks end up in the global market every
year.

According to the new report, a nationwide ban on the trade of shark fins would reduce
the international fin trade. Also it will improve enforcement of the current finning
ban. Finally and send a message to other countries. Especially that the United States
recognizes shark finning as a cruel process. One that should not be allowed to continue.
To access Oceana’s full report and video, please visit [www.oceana.org/FinBanNow](https://usa.oceana.org/publications/reports/shark-fin-trade-why-it-should-be-banned-united-states).

> _“Shark finning is cruel and wasteful and it’s putting some shark species at risk
> of extinction. The United States rightly decided to ban the trade of ivory and
> rhino horns—yet we still import shark fins, which can be the result of an equally
> brutal practice,” said Lora Snyder, campaign director at Oceana. “To protect sharks,
> we need to end the demand for shark fins. Today, the United States took an important
> step towards achieving this. We applaud the leadership of the bill’s supporters
> today in helping to end the shark fin trade in the United States.”_

## **Key findings from the report include:**

[⌊image⌉⌊image⌉[

More than 70 percent of the 14 most common shark species involved in the Hong Kong
shark fin trade. That’s the historic center of the global shark fin trade. For they
are considered at high or very high risk of extinction.

Five of the 11 countries that export fins to the United States have no shark finning
bans in place, making it very likely that fins coming into the U.S. are from sharks
that have been finned.Shark watchers spend an estimated $314 million on shark ecotourism
every year, and researchers expect that to double to $780 million in 20 years.

According to a recent study, sharks are the top species U.S. scuba divers want to
see, and they will pay $35 extra per dive to see a shark.There are discrepancies
in the estimates of the number of shark fins that  are actually entering and leaving
the United States. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO), other countries [reported exporting 1,012 metric](https://greenlivingguy.com/2025/08/nintendo-reports-environmental-strategy-metrics/)
tons of shark fins to the United States in 2007.

However, that same year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
only reported 28.8 metric tons of shark fin imports.In 2011, NOAA reported 38 metric
tons of shark fin exports from the United States, yet according to the FAO, other
countries reported importing 295 metric tons of shark fins from the United States.

> **“Right now, it is impossible to know if a shark fin in the United States is 
> a product of finning. A national fin ban would remove that uncertainty and shut
> down the U.S. as a market for shark fins. It would also reinforce the status of
> the United States as a global leader in shark conservation,” said Snyder. “There’s
> no place for shark fins in the United States.”**

### **Below are statements from several of the bill’s supporters:**

> _“In 2011, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands was the first U.S.
> insular area to enact legislation banning the trade in shark fins,” said Representative
> Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, who represents the Marianas in the U.S. House 
> of Representatives. “Today, 3 insular areas and 11 states have laws on the books
> to protect sharks. And we are now building on that local leadership by [introducing national legislation to ban](https://greenlivingguy.com/2009/10/i-get-apples-yesterday-and-realize-it-is-about-buying-locally/)
> the buying and selling of shark fins throughout the United States.”_
> _“Every year, it is estimated fins from as many as 70 million sharks end up in
> the global shark fin trade.” Sen. Booker said.  “Shark finning is pushing some
> species of sharks to the brink of extinction. With this bipartisan measure, America
> can become a global leader by shutting down the domestic market for shark fins.
> Sharks play a pivotal role in marine ecosystems, and we must do more to protect
> them.”_
> _“Shark finning, which leaves these animals to die a slow and painful death at
> the bottom of the ocean, is a cruel practice that needs to be stopped. When the
> United States leads, others follow. We should set an example by eliminating the
> shark fin trade rather than providing a market to incentivize this illicit activity,”
> said U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-Calif.), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs
> Committee._
> _“Cutting the fin off a shark is illegal in the United States, so there’s no reason
> to treat selling a shark fin as legal commerce,” said Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, Ranking
> Member of the House Natural Resources Committee. “Shark fins don’t fall off the
> back of a truck – they’re bought and sold after being illegally harvested. Tens
> of millions of sharks are dying every year because we allow the market for shark
> fins to keep operating. This bill uses the economic might of the United States
> to protect shark species and the ecosystems they keep in balance. I’m encouraged
> by the early support it’s getting from both sides of the aisle, and I sincerely
> hope we can put partisanship aside to get this done.”_

Oceana would like to thank Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Maria Cantwell and John McCain
as well as Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Madeleine Bordallo, Blake Farenthold, Raul Gijalva,
Jared Huffman, John Katko, Patrick Meehan and Mike Thompson for being original co-
sponsors of this legislation.

Source: [Oceana](https://usa.oceana.org/press-releases/congress-introduces-legislation-ban-trade-shark-fins-us)
[http://www.oceana.org](http://www.oceana.org), Press Release Date, Thursday, June
23, 2016, Location: Washington

![author avatar](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/df91669667126e1290c21ee0342c386e2da19d588d4d9ca6560bd82ed59a9641?
s=300&d=monsterid&r=g)

 greenlivingguy

 The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is an independent power producer, a green living
expert, and Editor of the McGraw-Hill, TAB Green Guru Guides. Seth is also an Author,
Radio Host, Reporter, Writer and an Environmental Consultant on green living. The
Green Living Guy writes about green living, green lighting, the green guru guides
and more. Seth's books range from: # Build Your Own Electric Vehicle by Bob Brant
and Seth Leitman (2nd and 3rd editions) # Build Your Own Plug-in Hybrid Electric
Vehicle by Seth Leitman # Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle by Carl Vogel # Green
Lighting by Seth Leitman, Brian Clark Howard and Bill Brinsky # Solar Power For 
Your Home by David Findley # Renewable Energies For Your Home by Russel Gehrke #
Do-it-Yourself Home Energy Audits by David Findley # Build Your Own Small Wind Power
System by Brian Clark Howard and Kevin Shea # and more green living books to follow.

 [See Full Bio](https://greenlivingguy.com/author/greenlivingguy/) [  ](https://greenlivingguy.com/author/greenlivingguy/)