Shark fins Archives - Page 4 of 7

Illegal shark finning probe nets criminal charges against ten international fishermen

November 12, 2018 — HONOLULU — Federal investigators have charged ten fishermen with trying to smuggle nearly a thousand shark fins out of Hawaii.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said they are all Indonesian nationals and worked on the Kyoshin Maru, a longline fishing vessel from southern Japan.

“They have no clue what they were doing here. All they could tell me was ‘ikan,’ which means fish in Indonesian,” said Gary Singh, an attorney for one of the fishermen.

This comes eight years after Hawaii became the first state to ban possession of shark fins. The following year, the federal government strengthened its existing ban and the trade largely went underground near Hawaiian waters.

Read the full story at Hawaii News Now

Scientists Urge Congress to Support Ongoing Shark Research

July 19, 2018 — Fishermen and beachgoers alike have long viewed sharks with something less than admiration, but advances in technology have proven they are deeply valuable, scientists told lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Yet that value could be lost if climate change and overfishing continue to threaten the predator and its habitat.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee heard testimony from several scientists about the value of shark research during a Wednesday morning session.

Among them was Dr. Robert Hueter, of the Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida, who said he’s studied sharks for 40 years and that his most satisfying moments have come when he’s gotten to watch people shift from vilifying sharks to appreciating them.

“Now I see people on the coast watching sharks with tags swim by,” Hueter said. “They don’t want to kill them but instead, they’re rooting them on and sometimes, they even [figuratively] adopt them. They understand the shark isn’t looking to eat people but they’re doing what they have done for millions of years. We’re winning the battle [for conservation] and activism is spreading, so it’s very exciting.”

Read the full story at the Courthouse News Service

Senators share their fascination with sharks at hearing

July 19, 2018 — Lawmakers on Wednesday held a hearing on sharks to examine new research, conservation techniques and ways to improve understanding of the unique animals.

The hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, titled simply “SHARKS!,” featured experts in shark research who told lawmakers how their discoveries are benefiting the medical and tech fields.

“Americans have been fascinated by sharks,” said Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.). “Aquariums and other educational programs have helped to demystify sharks and our initial fear has turned into fandom.”

The hearing also comes just before the start of The Discovery Channel’s 30th annual “Shark Week,” which is set to begin July 22.

Dr. Robert Hueter, the senior scientist and director of the Center for Shark Research at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Fla., credited the annual television event with leading to a better understanding of the complex creatures.

Americans are now “rooting the shark on,” Hueter said.

“They understand that that shark is not really threatening them, they’re not looking for people, that they’re there trying to do their thing and they’ve been there for millions of years,” Hueter said.

Read the full story at The Hill

Coastal Conservation Association Supports Legislative Effort To Eliminate Shark Finning

June 8, 2018 — The following was released by the Coastal Conservation Association:

Coastal Conservation Association has joined forces with leaders in the marine science world to support the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act (HR 5248) as part of the ongoing effort to eliminate the vile practice of shark finning around the world. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida, would require any nation seeking to export shark, ray or skate products to the U.S. to receive certification from NOAA that it has management and conservation policies in place comparable to those in the U.S. Furthermore, the exporter must show that there is no overfishing of those species and that a prohibition on shark finning is enacted and enforced.

“We at OCEARCH applaud the support of CCA for this bill, which provides an effective, sensible and science-based solution to end shark finning around the world,” said Chris Fisher, Founding Chairman of OCEARCH. “As an advocate for bringing together diverse stakeholders, OCEARCH is pleased to see CCA join the growing coalition of organizations in support of this bill. With this support, CCA is demonstrating their leadership in promoting the conservation of our precious marine resources in a data-driven, centrist way.”

While the U.S. has policies in place against shark-finning, in which sharks captured with industrial commercial gear like trawls and longlines have just the fins removed before being thrown overboard to a slow death, many countries still turn a blind eye to the practice. The Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act is one of a number of pieces of legislation seeking to close any loopholes that may allow the practice to continue.

“As an apex predator, sharks play a critical role in maintaining the health of the marine ecosystem and we simply cannot afford to allow this egregious and wasteful method of fishing to continue,” said Patrick Murray, president of CCA. “Research shows that sharks travel the globe and need global solutions to ensure their health and sustainability. We greatly appreciate the work of Rep. Webster, Rep. Corey Booker of New Jersey, who is sponsoring similar legislation, and others who are making a difference in this fight.”

Read the full release here

Mississippi Commercial Fishermen Support Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act

June 7, 2018 — The following was released by Mississippi Commercial Fishermen United:

The Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United, Inc. is glad to express strong support for H.R. 5248 “The Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act” introduced by Representative Webster (R-FL). The bill offers a common sense approach to addressing sustainable shark fisheries and ensures nations engaged in the importation of shark products to the United States are held to similar standards. The bill would require a certification for each nation engaged in the importation of shark products. Import nations engaged in practices of finning sharks at sea would not be certifiable under this legislation since it has been illegal in the U.S. for quite some time.

We applaud Rep. Webster and the currently 21 bipartisan co-sponsors of this bill for their support because it does not seek to harm U.S. commercial fishermen operating under sustainably managed fisheries and provides meaningful solutions to addressing inequities in global fisheries management. The Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United encourages Mississippi’s congressional leadership to support this bill as well. Sharks deserve an increased level of protection and requiring import nations to adhere to similar standards that U.S. fisheries operate under is a great way to push the conservation of sharks forward. Additionally, we support language in the bill that would include skates and rays in the Seafood Import Monitoring program.

The Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United is pleased to join a growing list of supporters of the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act. The bill has already received the support of commercial shark fishermen, conservation groups such as the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Mote Marine Laboratory and over 62 prominent shark scientists. It should also be noted that these recommendations are consistent with the International Plan of Action for Conservation and Management of Sharks of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Senator Rubio also recently introduced a similar companion bill in the Senate in which we applaud and support.

Sportfishing and Conservation Groups Latest to Support Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act

May 9, 2018 — Three sportfishing and conservation groups have thrown their support behind a bill aimed at improving shark conservation worldwide while maintaining sustainable U.S. shark fisheries.

In a letter to the bill’s sponsors, the American Sportfishing Association, the Center for Sportfishing Policy, and the Coastal Conservation Association praise the bill, which they state will “reduce the overfishing and unsustainable trade of sharks, rays and skates around the world and prevent shark finning.” The bill was introduced in the House by Congressmen Daniel Webster (R-FL) and Ted Lieu (D-CA), and in the Senate by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

The bill would require that all countries wishing to import shark products into the United States receive certification from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce that confirms they have effective prohibitions on the practice of shark finning, where a fin is removed from a shark at sea and rest of the shark is discarded. Countries seeking certification must also have shark management policies comparable to those in force in the United States, which has been praised for being a global leader in sustainable shark management and which has long outlawed the practice of shark finning.

“Recreational fishermen and the sportfishing industry are constantly striving to improve fishing practices that minimize harm to fish,” the letter states. “Shark finning flies in the face of the sportfishing community’s conservation ethic, and we fully support efforts – such as your legislation – to curtail this practice.”

These groups join a growing list of supporters of the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act. The bill has already received the support of commercial shark fishermen, conservation groups such as the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Mote Marine Laboratory and 62 prominent shark scientists.

Read the full letter here.

62 Shark Scientists Endorse Bipartisan Shark Sustainability Bill

April 17, 2018 — WASHINGTON — The following was released by the Wildlife Conservation Society:

Ahead of a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on various shark conservation bills, 62 marine scientists with expertise on sharks and rays submitted a letter to the committee calling for passage of the H.R. 5248, the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act.

The scientists urge a science-based approach to fisheries conservation and management, as prescribed by H.R. 5248, to significantly reduce the overfishing and unsustainable trade of sharks, rays, and skates around the world and prevent shark finning.

The letter states, “Although it is not the largest importer of shark products, the U.S. is a major shark and skate fishing and exporting country and therefore can lead in both modeling and promoting sustainable shark fisheries management and responsible trade for these species. Continuing to exercise this leadership can help to reverse the declining trend in many shark, skate, and ray populations around the world. We heartily endorse the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act of 2018 and strongly urge its prompt passage by Congress.”

The 62 signatories come from research institutions, conservation organizations, and academia. This group also includes 12 past presidents of the American Elasmobranch Society.

Read the full release here

SSA Member to House Subcommittee: Sustainable Shark Bill Recognizes Sacrifices of U.S. Fishermen, Fin Ban Undermines Them

SSA member John Polston testifies before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans today. (Photo: House Natural Resources Committee/YouTube)

April 17, 2018 — The following was released by the Sustainable Shark Alliance:

At a House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing today, John Polston, a fisherman and member of the Sustainable Shark Alliance (SSA), testified in support of legislation that would promote shark conservation by incentivizing other nations to meet the same high standards of sustainability as U.S. shark fishermen.

In testimony before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans, Mr. Polston, owner of King’s Seafood in Port Orange, Florida, praised the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act (SSFTA) as a “proactive bill that levels the playing field for American fishermen.” The bipartisan legislation, introduced last month by Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL) and a group of six Democrats and Republicans, would create a formal and transparent certification program for countries importing shark products into the United States. Nations would be required to prove that they have an effective prohibition on shark finning, and management policies comparable to those in the United States.

“The SSFTA creates an incentive for other nations to end shark finning and meet the same high standards for marine conservation to which the United States holds its fishermen,” Mr. Polston said. “This bill recognizes the sacrifices our fishermen have made, and continue to make, to rebuild domestic shark populations by leveling the playing field with our foreign competitors.”

Mr. Polston was joined in his support for the SSFTA by Dr. Robert Hueter, director of the Center for Shark Research at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, who served as a scientific reviewer for the legislation.

“The SSFTA will give the American people an effective tool to say, ‘No longer will we allow the import and consumption of unsustainably fished shark and ray products on American soil. Our participation as consumers in this practice ends now,’” Dr. Hueter said. “The bill does this without punishing American fishers who are conducting legal and sustainable shark fishing, providing a model of responsible management and conservation for the rest of the world.”

Mr. Polston and Dr. Hueter also expressed their opposition to another shark bill discussed at the hearing, the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, introduced by Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA). This legislation would ban the domestic sale of all shark fins, including responsibly and sustainably caught American shark fins.

“This bill punishes me and others in the shark fishery by taking away an important income source, undoubtedly pushing some small businesses into unprofitability,” Mr. Polston said. “It is an insult to American fishermen who have been required to give so much for decades to create a sustainable fishery.”

Alan Risenhoover, director of NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Sustainable Fisheries, voiced similar criticisms of the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act.

“This bill does not meet its intent to improve the conservation and management of domestically harvested sharks,” Mr. Risenhoover said. “It prohibits the possession and sale of shark fins. This would hurt U.S. fishermen who currently harvest and sell sharks and shark fins in a sustainable manner under strict federal management.”

About the Sustainable Shark Alliance
The Sustainable Shark Alliance (SSA) is a coalition of shark fishermen and seafood dealers that advocates for sustainable U.S. shark fisheries and supports healthy shark populations. The SSA stands behind U.S. shark fisheries as global leaders in successful shark management and conservation. The SSA is a member of Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities.

New Sustainable Shark Trade Bill is Supported by Both Conservationists and Fishing Industry

March 15, 2018 — The following was released by the Wildlife Conservation Society:

WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) supports a new bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Congress that encourages a science-based approach to fisheries conservation and management to significantly reduce the overfishing and unsustainable trade of sharks, rays, and skates around the world and prevent shark finning.

H.R. 5248, the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), along with co-sponsors Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL), Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO), and Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC).

The Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act would require that imports of shark, ray, and skate parts and products to the U.S. be permitted only from countries certified by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as having in place and enforcing management and conservation policies for these species comparable to the U.S., including science-based measures to prevent overfishing and provide for recovery of stocks, and a similar prohibition on shark finning.

By requiring that imports of shark, skate, and ray parts and products be subject to the same standards that U.S. domestic fishers already meet, the legislation aims to level the playing field for U.S. producers and use access to the U.S. market as leverage to encourage other countries to adopt and implement strong conservation and management measures that support sustainable fisheries and trade in shark and ray products.

WCS, along with its partners in the conservation community and allies in the fishing industry, have launched a campaign to support the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act in order to conserve sharks, rays and skates. The coalition includes more than 40 partner organizations and aligns with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) initiative, which leverages the reach, expertise and resources of accredited zoos and aquariums to save species in the wild.

Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL) said, “Fishing is a long-standing profession and treasured American pastime, and particularly important in Florida. Our responsibility to is balance the needs of the industry with conservation. This bill recognizes the sacrifices American fishermen have made to rebuild and sustain our shark populations. It encourages other nations wishing to export shark products to the United States to the same high standards for shark, skate, and ray conservation and management we apply to fishermen here.”

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) said, “U.S. shark fisheries are governed by some of the strongest science-based conservation regulations in the world. Accordingly, we should be leading the charge to counsel other nations in proper shark management. Preventing exploitation in global fisheries helps safeguard our ocean’s delicate ecosystem and can help promote the humane treatment of shark populations. I’m proud to introduce this bill with Rep. Webster because the U.S. should be leading the charge in environmental conservation efforts. We have a responsibility to disincentivize the trade of unsustainably or illegally harvested shark fins and other shark products.”

John Calvelli, WCS Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, said: “We must take action now to prevent the global overfishing of sharks and rays that is decimating populations of these prehistoric and iconic animals. This bill is a bipartisan solution that both conservationists and the fishing industry can agree upon. The incentives laid out by the legislation can create a ripple effect that can make all the world’s oceans a better home for sharks, rays and skates.”

Luke Warwick, Associate Director of WCS’s Sharks and Rays Program, said: “Sharks play an essential part in the health of our oceans, and they need our help. Research has clearly shown that effective fisheries management can reverse the global declines see in shark and ray populations, but that outside of a limited number of countries including the US, such management is lacking. This law would incentivize countries to better manage their shark and ray fisheries, which when coupled with our work globally to support those Governments understand their shark fisheries, and develop strong conservation and management measures, can help safe these inherently vulnerable animals.”

Bob Jones, executive director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association in Tallahassee, Florida, said, “We’d like to thank Congressmen Webster and Lieu for introducing the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act, which represents a better way forward for shark conservation. This legislation goes a long way toward combatting the threats facing global shark stocks by promoting the successful model of American shark management.”

There are more than 1,250 species of cartilaginous fish—sharks and their relatives, which include skates and rays. Of these, as many as one-quarter are estimated to be threatened with extinction, and the conservation status of nearly half is poorly known. These fishes play important ecological roles in the marine and freshwater habitats in which they occur, and many species are culturally and economically important. These fishes are particularly vulnerable to over-exploitation—they grow slowly, mature late, and produce few young. Overfishing is the primary threat to sharks and their relatives, which are caught to supply demand for fins, meat, oil, cartilage, and other products.

Across the world, most shark, ray, and skate fisheries are subject to very little management; shark and ray populations are widely overfished and fisheries are often not regulated or monitored so that the impacts of fishing pressure are unknown or unchecked. In the U.S., however, current fisheries law, including the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provides a strong framework for improving shark and ray conservation worldwide, such as requirements for science-based limits on fisheries to prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks. For example, a recent analysis of global shark catches identified several U.S. shark fisheries as meeting that study’s criteria for biological sustainability and science-based management – but globally most shark and ray fisheries lack the management needed to guarantee sustainability.

The U.S. is a significant shark fishing and trading country, primarily through exports, and U.S. leadership on sustainable trade standard is important to promoting sustainable shark fisheries globally. This bill, if it becomes law, would continue to give the U.S. a strong position from which to advocate for adoption of similar policies in other countries. As part of its field conservation work, WCS is working with governments, the fisheries sector, and environment agencies to document shark fisheries, investigate the status of shark and ray populations, and develop and implement conservation and management measures for these species.

Based on official statistics, which are widely believed to under-report actual levels, global trade in shark and ray parts and products is approaching $1 billion in value. In 2011, total global trade in shark and ray parts and products was valued at $438.6 million in fins and $379.8 million in meat. These figures do not include domestic use of shark and ray products, which drives much of the global consumption for the 800,000metric tons of sharks and rays that are reported to be landed annually by global fisheries. The value of the shark tourism industry is also estimated to be around $314 million annually. Major shark fishing countries beyond the U.S. include Indonesia, India, Spain, Taiwan ROC, Mexico, and Pakistan. The U.S. also imports shark, skate and ray parts and products from a variety of countries, including New Zealand, Canada, China including Hong Kong, and Mexico.

Market demand for shark – and in some instances ray – fins, meat and other products drives large scale international trade – with fins highly valued in parts of Asia, and meat in Europe, Republic of Korea, Latin America, and the U.S. Some of the most valuable “shark” fins in the global fin market are actually from other cartilaginous fishes, such as sawfishes and guitarfishes – two of the seven most threatened families of sharks and rays and among the most endangered of the world’s marine fishes.

Overfishing through targeted fisheries and incidental catches in fisheries targeting other species such as tunas are by far the biggest threat to sharks and rays worldwide. Although some species are so threatened that they cannot be sustainably fished, others can support sustainable fisheries if subject to adequate management.

WCS works to conserve sharks, rays and skates and their relatives through its Global Marine program, WCS country programs, and participation in the Global Sharks and Rays Initiative (GSRI), a global partnership implementing a ten-year global strategy to conserve the chondrichthyan fishes. WCS’s New York Seascape program is centered at its New York Aquarium, which provides a unique opportunity to build a constituency for shark and ray conservation in the United States. The WCS New York Aquarium is currently constructing a major new exhibit, Ocean Wonders: Sharks! which will connect visitors to the marine life and habitats vital to healthy waterways in and around New York City. The WCS New York Aquarium aims to become the hub for marine conservation on the East Coast and continue to build support for marine conservation both locally and globally.

Learn more about the Wildlife Conservation Society by visiting their site here.

Bipartisan Shark Trade Bill Will Improve Global Shark Conservation and Protect Sustainable U.S. Fisheries

March 15, 2018 – WASHINGTON – The following was released by the Sustainable Shark Alliance:

A new bipartisan bill introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives supported by conservation groups, zoos, aquariums and industry advances global shark conservation by ensuring that all shark products imported into the United States meet the same high ethical and sustainability standards required of American fishermen.

The Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act of 2018, H.R. 5248, sponsored by Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL), Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC), Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO), Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL), and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), would create a formal and transparent certification program for countries seeking to import shark products into the United States. Foreign nations would be required to receive certification from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce confirming that they have an effective prohibition on the reprehensible and wasteful practice of shark finning, and have shark management policies comparable to those under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Unlike legislation (H.R. 1456/S.793) from Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) ostensibly designed to improve global shark conservation by banning all trade of shark fins in the United States, the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act would not punish American fishermen for bad actors in other parts of the world. Instead, it would leverage access to U.S. markets to incentivize other countries to eliminate shark finning and overfishing in their fisheries.

“Fishing is a long-standing profession and treasured American pastime,” said Rep. Webster. “Our responsibility is to balance the needs of the industry with conservation. This bill recognizes the sacrifices American fishermen have made to rebuild and sustain our shark populations. It encourages other nations wishing to export shark products to the United States to adhere to the same high standards for conservation and management.”

“We’d like to thank the Congressmen for introducing the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act, which represents a better way forward for shark conservation,” said Bob Jones, executive director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association in Tallahassee, Florida. “This legislation goes a long way toward protecting U.S. fishing jobs and combatting the threats facing global shark stocks by promoting the successful model of American shark management.”

Our U.S. shark fisheries are among the best managed in the world. In a paper published last year, Dr. Robert Shiffman, a Liber Ero Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Simon Fraser University, and Dr. Robert Hueter, Director of the Center for Shark Research at Mote Marine Laboratory, wrote that the U.S. “has some of the most sustainable shark fisheries on Earth” and called the U.S. “a model of successful management.” Shark finning, the cruel practice of removing a shark’s fins at sea and discarding the rest of the shark, has been banned in the United States with industry support since the 1990s.

The Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act is supported by commercial fishing industry groups, including but not limited to the following members of Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities: the Garden State Seafood Association, Southeastern Fisheries Association, North Carolina Fisheries Association, and Directed Sustainable Fisheries. It is also supported by the Louisiana Shrimp Association; environmental groups, such as the Wildlife Conservation Society; and zoo and aquarium facilities, such as Mote Marine Laboratory, Palm Beach Zoo, SeaWorld, Zoo Miami Foundation and the Florida Aquarium. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also wrote a letter in support of this legislation.