Date: 2000-10-30
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 5461. the Shark Finning Prohibition Act. Shark finning. as the gentleman from Utah has pointed out. is currently one of the most visible and controversial conservation issues in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. While the practice of finning has already been banned in Federal waters of the Atlantic. Gulf of Mexico. and the Caribbean. as well as waters in 11 coastal States. it remains unregulated in the Pacific and this legislation is designed to address that problem. Again. I support this legislation. but I want to continue to express my concerns about the manner in which these bills are now being presented. given what has happened to the parks package. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 5461. the Shark Finning Prohibition Act.. Shark finning is currently one of the most visible and controversial conservation issues in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. While the practice of finning has already been banned in the Federal waters of the Atlantic. Gulf of Mexico. and the Carribean. as well as the waters of 11 coastal states. it remains unregulated in the Pacific. As a result. and because of the strong demand and high prices for shark fins in Asia. the harvest of shark fins in the Pacific has increased over the past seven years by more than 2000 percent- More than 60.000 sharks were caught and killed in 1998 alone. and 98 percent of those sharks were harvested only for their fins--or less than 5 percent of their body weightwhile the remaining 95 percent of the shark was tossed overboard. Not only is thispractice wasteful. many critics consider it to be morally and culturally wrong. In addition. shark finning is inconsistent with U.S. policy both domestically and internationally. In the United States. it is contrary to the Magnuson Act which requires fishermen to reduce bycatch and the mortality of bycatch that cannot be avoided. Given that 85 percent of the sharks caught are alive when they reach the boats. prohibiting the finning of these sharks will reduce bycatch by significant amounts. Abroad. the United States has participated in and promoted shark conservation through the United Nations fisheries committee where specific guidelines on shark conservation have been adopted. Those guidelines include a provision that countries should adopt methods to prohibit finning and encourage the full use of dead sharks. For the United States to promote these measures internationally while continuing to allow shark finning in its own waters would be hypocritical and could undermine our efforts to achieve international conservation. The Shark Finning Prohibition Act will not prevent United States fishermen from harvesting sharks. bringing them to shore. and then using the fins or any other part of the shark. Instead. it would simply prevent the cutting off of the fins and the disposal of the carcass at sea. or the transport or landing of fins harvested in this manner by another fishing vessel. It also encourages the Administration to enter into discussions with other nations where shark finning still occurs to try and bring this practice to an end not just in the United States. but around the world. The bill is identical to language that passed the other body earlier this month. and I urge Members to support it. Mr. Speaker. I reserve thebalance of my time.