John Kerry: “I rise to make a few remarks in support of H.R. 5461, the Shark Finning Prohibition Act, which will the Senate has…”

“I rise to make a few remarks in support of H.R. 5461, the Shark Finning Prohibition Act, which will the Senate has passed today and which will be forwarded to President Clinton for his signature. H.R. 5461 is identical to a provision I authored, along with Senator Snowe, in Senate Amendment 4320. That provision was then introduced in the House by Representative Cunningham as a stand alone bill and passed the House on October 30, 2000. I want to thank Senators Hollings and Snowe, who helped move this legislation through the Commerce Committee and the Senate. And, I thank Representative Cunningham for his work. Shark finning is the practice of catching a shark, removing its fins and returning the remainder of the shark to the sea. It is highly wasteful practice since only a very small portion of the shark is consumed and the rest is dumped back into the sea. The National Marine Fisheries Service already prohibits shark finning in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. This legislation would expand that ban into the Pacific and create a consistent national policy by amending the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Sharks are among the most biologically vulnerable species in the ocean. Their slow growth, late maturity and small number of offspring leave them exceptionally vulnerable to over fishing and slow to recover from depletion. At the same time, sharks, as top predators, are essential to maintaining the balance of life in the sea.…”