Shark finning bill passes House

In a last-minute lame-duck victory for conservationists, the House passed Tuesday a bill that puts new restrictions on shark finning in U.S. waters.

The bill now goes to the White House for President Obama’s signature. The Senate passed the same bill Tuesday. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Del. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), closes a number of loopholes in the United States’s current ban on shark finning. 

Conservationists have been raising red flags for years about shark finning, in which valuable shark fins are removed and sold, noting significant declines in shark populations that could have broad impacts on ocean ecosystems.

Matt Rand, the director of global shark conservation for the Pew Environment Group, praised Congress for passing the bill.

“The Shark Conservation Act would once and for all end the practice of shark finning in U.S. waters and give the United States the credibility to persuade other nations and international fishery managers to follow suit,” Rand said in a statement.

Beth Lowell, Oceana’s federal policy director, echoed Pew’s sentiments. “The Shark Conservation Act has finally passed the finish line. Oceana applauds Congress and its ocean heroes for passing such an important piece of legislation. Sharks now have a reason to celebrate this holiday season,” Lowell said.