Does the U.S. Need to Stop the Domestic Shark Fin Trade? (H.R. 5584)

What is H.R. 5584?

(Updated July 19, 2017)

This bill would make it illegal to possess, trade, distribute, sell, or purchase shark fins in the U.S. and also prohibit their import or export. It would also establish penalties for shark finning under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Under current law, shark finning — the practice of cutting off the fins of a shark to sell them as food — is illegal in U.S. waters and has been since 2000, though buying, selling, or possessing shark fins is allowed. After the fins are removed, oftentimes the shark is thrown back into the sea where it will drown, bleed to death, or be eaten by other ocean creatures.

There would be an exemption for people who have a shark fin that was obtained legally under a state, territorial, or federal license as long as the fin is taken from the shark to be:

• Destroyed or discarded;

• Retained by the license holder and not sold;

• Used — but not sold — for subsistence purposes in compliance with state or territorial law;

• Used solely for display or research purposes by a museum, college, university, or other person granted a permit to conduct scientific research.

Argument in favor

Shark finning is a barbaric practice and the U.S. needs to do what it can to stop it by making the sale or purchase of shark fins illegal.

Argument opposed

If the U.S. tries to stop the shark fin trade by making it illegal to buy or sell fins, the trade will still persist by moving to the black market.

Impact

Sharks; people who buy or sell shark fins; and the federal government.

Cost of H.R. 5584

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Actor Morgan Freeman joined lawmakers and an advocacy group known as Oceana at a press conference announcing the introduction of this bill, and pushed for the legislation’s passage:

“Sharks are being killed for their fins, much like rhinos and elephants have been decimated due to the demand for their horns and tusks. While shark finning is banned in U.S. waters, we continue to buy, sell and trade shark fins throughout the country. By allowing the trade of shark fins within our borders, the U.S. continues to contribute to this global problem.”

This bill was introduced by the Northern Mariana Islands’ non-voting delegate in Congress, Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, to help stop the global shark fin trade by taking the U.S. out of the market for shark fins. He also noted that the native cultures from his territory that traditionally hunt sharks aren’t part of the problem and that more respect should be shown to the creatures:

“Destroying millions of sharks simply for their fins is a wasteful practice that our indigenous Chamorro and Rafaluwasch cultures would never have allowed. We would have used as much of the shark as possible for food, tools, and other purposes. In addition, our ancestors understood and respected the role of the shark in preserving the health of the oceans.”

This legislation has nine bipartisan cosponsors in the House, including five Democrats and four Republicans.

Of Note: According to Oceana as many 73 million sharks have their fins removed in a given year, and several species that are frequent targets are considered to be vulnerable or endangered populations. Much of the demand for shark fins is driven by the consumption of shark fin soup, which is considered a delicacy in some Asian cultures.

Media:

• Sponsoring Del. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (I-MP) Press Release
• The Hill
• Washington Post
• Humane Society (In Favor)
• Oceana (In Favor)
• Wildlife Conservation Society (In Favor)