The Pew Environment Group today applauded Senator John Kerry’s (D-MA) introduction of the Shark Conservation Act of 2009 (companion of legislation introduced in the House by Rep. Madeline Bordallo of Guam) on the day before the EU Fisheries Ministers consider a new Plan of Action for Sharks that covers all European Union Member States’ waters.
"Sharks, the top predators in the marine environment, are rapidly disappearing from the world’s oceans," said Joshua S. Reichert , Managing Director of the Pew Environment Group. "We are hopeful that this week’s events mark a turning point where governments around the world will take concrete steps to stop the widespread killing of these animals."
The Shark Conservation Act of 2009 would strengthen the current U.S. ban on shark finning, removing loopholes that the fishing industry has exploited and mandating that any imported shark products come from countries that have equivalent conservation standards.