I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5584 

To prohibit the sale of shark fins, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 24, 2016 

Mr. SABLAN (for himself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. 

THOMPSON of California, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. 

FARENTHOLD, Mr. MEEHAN, and Mr. KATKO) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 

addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Ways and Means, for 

a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To prohibit the sale of shark fins, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Shark Fin Trade Elim5 ination Act of 2016’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON TRADE IN SHARK FINS. 

7 (a) PROHIBITION.—Except as provided in section 3, 

8 no person shall possess, trade, distribute, ship, transport, 


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1 offer for sale, sell, purchase, import, or export shark fins 

2 or products containing shark fins. 

3 (b) PENALTY.—For purposes of section 308(a) of the 

4 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Manage5 ment Act (16 U.S.C. 1858(a)), a violation of this section 

6 shall be treated as an act prohibited by section 307 of 

7 that Act (16 U.S.C. 1857). 

8 SEC. 3. EXEMPTION FOR TRADITIONAL FISHERIES, EDU9 CATION, AND SCIENCE. 

10 A person may possess a shark fin that was taken law11 fully under a State, territorial, or Federal license or per12 mit to take or land sharks, if the shark fin is separated 

13 from the shark in a manner consistent with the license 

14 or permit and is— 

15 (1) destroyed or discarded; 

16 (2) retained by the license or permit holder for 

17 a noncommercial purpose; 

18 (3) used for noncommercial subsistence pur19 poses in accordance with State or territorial law; or 

20 (4) used solely for display or research purposes 

21 by a museum, college, or university, or other person 

22 under a State or Federal permit to conduct non23 commercial scientific research. 

24 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

25 In this Act: 


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1 (1) SHARK.—The term ‘‘shark’’— 

2 (A) except as provided in subparagraph 

3 (B), means any species of the subclass Elasmo4 branchii; and 

5 (B) does not include— 

6 (i) any stock of the species Mustelus 

7 canis (smooth dogfish) or Squalus acanthi8 as (spiny dogfish) that is managed pursu9 ant to a fishery management plan prepared 

10 under section 303 of the Magnuson-Ste11 vens Fishery Conservation and Manage12 ment Act (16 U.S.C. 1853); or 

13 (ii) any species in the superorder 

14 Batoidea that is managed pursuant to a 

15 fishery management plan prepared under 

16 section 303 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fish17 ery Conservation and Management Act (16 

18 U.S.C. 1853). 

19 (2) SHARK FIN.—The term ‘‘shark fin’’ means 

20 the raw, dried, or otherwise processed detached fin, 

21 or the raw, dried, or otherwise processed detached 

22 tail, of a shark. 

23 (3) IMPORT.—The term ‘‘import’’ has the same 

24 meaning that term has under section 3 of the MagVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:11 Jun 28, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5584.IH H5584

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1 nuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Manage2 ment Act (16 U.S.C. 1802). 

3 SEC. 5. STATE AUTHORITY. 

4 Nothing in this Act precludes, denies, or limits any 

5 right of a State or territory of the United States to adopt 

6 or enforce any regulation or standard that is more strin7 gent than a regulation or standard in effect under this 

8 Act. 

Æ 


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