Number: 2010-10
WHEREAS, sharks have roamed our seas since before the time of dinosaurs, but their long reign at the top of the ocean food chain may be ending if measures are not taken to recover overharvested populations; and
WHEREAS, due to their late maturation and low reproductive rates, shark species in our fisheries are among the most susceptible to overfishing; and
WHEREAS, roughly 73 million sharks are caught annually by commercial fishing industry worldwide; and
WHEREAS, numerous scientific studies have documented huge declines in shark populations, by as much as 80% in some shark populations in U.S. waters since the 1970s; and
WHEREAS, increased demand for shark products has created one of the greatest impacts on shark populations through the wasteful practice of shark-finning – catching a shark, slicing off its fins, and discarding the shark (often still alive), at sea; and
WHEREAS, shark fins are valued for the Asian delicacy “shark fin soup” while shark meat, on the other hand, has little value in most seafood markets; and
WHEREAS, shark fins should only come from scientifically managed fisheries with approved shark fishery management plans;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, at its annual meeting assembled April 8-10, 2010 in Houston, Texas, urges the President and the Congress to take all necessary action to prohibit the wasteful practice of shark finning and to prohibit the transfer of shark fins from one vessel to another vessel at sea, or the receipt of shark fins in such a transfer without the fin naturally attached to the corresponding carcass; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges the President and the Congress to take all necessary action to require a fins-attached policy for all U.S. shark fisheries, including fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Pacific Ocean; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges the President and the Congress to take all necessary action to promote shark conservation and reduce shark finning by other countries, especially by nations that export shark products to the U.S.