IV 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 285 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States 
should ban and prevent the import of shark fins from sharks caught 
through the practice of finning, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 28, 2013 
Mr. BUCHANAN (for himself, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. FARR, Mr. GRIMM, Mrs. 
CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. NADLER, Mr. HASTINGS of 
Florida, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. YOUNG of Florida, Mr. MURPHY of Florida, 
Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. MORAN, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. TITUS, Mr. 
DEFAZIO, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of 
California, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Ms. SPEIER, Ms. 
BROWNLEY of California, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of Cali-
fornia, Ms. BORDALLO, and Ms. MENG) submitted the following resolu-
tion; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 
addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the United States should ban and prevent the import 
of shark fins from sharks caught through the practice 
of finning, and for other purposes. 
Whereas sharks are a vital part of a healthy ocean ecosystem; 
Whereas as top of the food chain predators, sharks help 
maintain the balance of marine life in the oceans; 
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•HRES 285 IH 
Whereas if shark populations continue to decline at the cur-
rent rates, there will be significant and unpredictable 
consequences for fish populations, ocean habitats, and 
the overall health of the ocean; 
Whereas sharks are slow-growing, mature later in life, and 
produce few young, and thus are highly susceptible to 
overfishing that is severely depleting global shark popu-
lations; 
Whereas approximately 26,000,000 to 73,000,000 sharks are 
killed globally each year, and this is contributing to the 
decline of shark populations around the world and im-
pacting the health of the ocean; 
Whereas shark finning, in which sharks are captured, their 
fins cut off, and their bodies thrown back into the sea, 
is a wasteful practice that is contributing to the devasta-
tion of shark populations worldwide; 
Whereas United States fishermen are held to a higher stand-
ard and are not operating on a level playing field with 
foreign, unregulated shark fisheries that are still engag-
ing in shark finning; 
Whereas many fisheries around the world are catching sharks 
without limits; 
Whereas the International Union for Conservation of Nature 
(IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species estimates that 
over 30 percent of pelagic (open ocean) sharks are 
threatened with extinction; and 
Whereas several States and United States territories have 
recognized the global decline of shark populations and 
have taken actions to improve conservation of sharks, in-
cluding restrictions on the sale of and trade in shark fins: 
Now, therefore, be it 
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•HRES 285 IH 
Resolved, That— 
(1) it is the sense of the House of Representa-
tives that the United States should ban and prevent 
the importation of shark fins from sharks caught 
through the practice of finning; and 
(2) the House of Representatives— 
(A) recognizes the threat shark finning 
poses to sharks; and 
(B) condemns the practice worldwide. 
Æ 
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