Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 81, the Shark Conservation Act of 2009. This bill, which I first introduced more than 3 years ago, reconfirms the original intent of Congress to prevent shark finning by prohibiting the removal of fins at sea, and the possession, transference, or landing of fins which are not naturally attached to the corresponding carcass. This critical conservation measure and enforcement mechanism will help to end the wasteful and abusive practice of shark finning and make us a world leader in shark conservation. Yesterday, the Senate amended my bill to clarify that certain fish stocks in New England are considered to be managed under an international agreement for purposes of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The bill was also amended to make technical corrections to two international fishery implementation acts to allow proper participation by stakeholders on the respective advisory bodies. Amendments were also made to clarify that the Secretary of Commerce can issue regulations to allow for the replacement of corroding vessels in the non-pollock groundfish fishery. In addition, the Senate inserted language to exempt one particular fishery from the new requirement to land sharks with their fins naturally attached.…”