IV

House Calendar No. 142

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 189

[Report No. 106–428]

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the wasteful and

unsportsmanlike practice known as shark finning.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 27, 1999

Mr. CUNNINGHAM (for himself, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mr. BILBRAY,

and Mr. GILCHREST) submitted the following concurrent resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on Resources

NOVEMBER 1, 1999

Additional sponsors: Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr.

THOMPSON of California, Mr. COOK, Mr. METCALF, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr.

BEREUTER, Mr. KUYKENDALL, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. INSLEE, and Mr.

LOBIONDO

Deleted sponsor: Mr. UNDERWOOD (added September 27, 1999; deleted

October 7, 1999)

NOVEMBER 1, 1999

Reported with an amendment, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered

to be printed

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the wasteful

and unsportsmanlike practice known as shark finning.
2

•HCON 189 RH

Whereas shark finning is the practice of removing the fins of

a shark and dumping its carcass back into the ocean;

Whereas demand for shark fins is driving dramatic increases

in shark fishing and mortality around the world;

Whereas the life history characteristics of sharks, including

slow growth, late sexual maturity, and the production of

few young, make them particularly vulnerable to overfishing and necessitate careful management of shark fisheries;

Whereas shark finning is not prohibited in the waters of the

Pacific Ocean in which fisheries are managed by the Federal Government;

Whereas according to the National Marine Fisheries Service,

the number of sharks killed in Central Pacific Ocean and

Western Pacific Ocean fisheries rose from 2,289 in 1991

to 60,857 in 1998, an increase of over 2,500 percent, and

continues to rise unabated;

Whereas of the 60,857 sharks landed in Central Pacific

Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean fisheries in 1998, 98.7

percent, or 60,085, were killed for their fins;

Whereas shark fins comprise only between 1 percent and 5

percent of the weight of a shark, and shark finning results in the unconscionable waste of 95 percent to 99

percent (by weight) of a valuable public resource;

Whereas the National Marine Fisheries Service has stated

that shark finning is wasteful, should be stopped, and is

contrary to United States fisheries conservation and

management policies;

Whereas shark finning is prohibited in the United States exclusive economic zone of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of

Mexico, and the Caribbean;
3

•HCON 189 RH

Whereas the practice of shark finning in the waters of the

United States in the Pacific Ocean is inconsistent with

the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Federal Fishery Management Plan for

Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and Sharks, and the shark

finning prohibitions that apply in State waters in the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean;

Whereas the United States is a global leader in shark management, and the practice of shark finning in the waters

of the United States in the Pacific Ocean is inconsistent

with United States international obligations, including

the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing of the Food

and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the

International Plan of Action for Sharks of such organization, and the United Nation’s Agreement on Straddling

Stocks and Highly Migratory Species; and

Whereas establishment of a prohibition on the practice of

shark finning in the Central Pacific Ocean and Western

Pacific Ocean would result in the immediate reduction of

waste and could reduce shark mortality by as much as

85 percent: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—

3 (1) the practice of removing the fins of a shark

4 and dumping its carcass back into the ocean, com5 monly referred to as shark finning, is a wasteful and

6 unsportsmanlike practice that could lead to over7 fishing of shark resources;

8 (2) the Western Pacific Fishery Management

9 Council, the State of Hawaii, and the National Ma-
4

•HCON 189 RH

1 rine Fisheries Service should promptly and perma2 nently end the practice of shark finning in all Fed3 eral and State waters in the Central Pacific Ocean

4 and Western Pacific Ocean; and

5 (2) all Federal and State agencies and other

6 management entities that have jurisdiction over fish7 eries in waters of the United States where the practice

8 of shark finning is not prohibited should promptly

9 and permanently end that practice in those waters;

10 and

11 (3) the Secretary of State should continue to

12 strongly advocate for the coordinated management

13 of sharks and the eventual elimination of shark fin14 ning in all other waters.

House Calendar No. 142

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 189

[Report No. 106–428]

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the

wasteful and unsportsmanlike practice known asshark finning.

NOVEMBER 1, 1999

Reported with an amendment, referred to the House

Calendar, and ordered to be printed