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The second loophole concerns how other nations address finning. If the new act passes, the Secretary of Congress will be granted the authority to identify and list nations that have not adopted regulations comparable to those established by the United States. Third, the act would seek to eliminate "an unexpected enforcement loophole" related to the transport of shark fins. This loophole became shockingly evident after a recent decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court "ruled in favor of a U.S. 'cargo' vessel that was found with almost 65,000 pounds of fins aboard, because the court determined it was not a 'fishing' vessel and did not effectively aid in the fishing effort of shark fins," said Bordallo. A Step in the Right Direction Despite the three provisions, Alexander-Ozinskas admitted that the new act "does not include a fins-attached requirement," which would mean that vessels with sharks would have to land with them completely intact. Many shark experts and conservationists have praised the bill, but express reservations that it doesn't go far enough. Sonja Fordham, a program director at Oceans Conservancy is recommending a requirement that all sharks be brought to land with their fins attached. Nevertheless, she said, "we thank Chairwoman Bordallo for leading this important initiative to improve the status of these valuable, yet vulnerable animals. We urge her colleagues to support the bill and any strengthening amendments." George Burgess, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the University of Florida, echoed Fordham's remarks. "Passage of the bill would mark a step in the right direction, but the issue is complex," Burgess told Discovery News. "Finning is an international problem," he added, "and until we get fishing nations around the world to enact laws in their own countries and support international agreements covering the open seas, until we all come together over this issue, shark populations are still going to be hurting."
Jennifer Viegas' blog: Born Animal Shark Conservation Act of 2008 |
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