[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 187 (Thursday, November 21, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1494]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                SHARK FIN SALES ELIMINATION ACT OF 2019

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. RODNEY DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 20, 2019

  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ranking 
Member McCaul and Representative Sablan for their leadership on H.R. 
737, the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, an important animal and 
wildlife protection bill. Their efforts earned the broad bipartisan 
support of nearly 290 Members of the House who cosponsored the bill 
which passed on an overwhelming bipartisan basis.
  Many sharks are killed through the horrific method of ``shark 
finning,'' a method of removing fins from sharks while they are still 
alive at sea and discarding the rest of the shark. This bill would 
expand the Shark Conservation Act, which was passed in 2010, 
prohibiting the commercial trade of shark fins and products containing 
shark fins, to also prohibit taking the fins of sharks at sea.
  Currently, shark finning is illegal in U.S. waters, but more is 
needed to protect these rapidly declining shark populations. Shark fins 
sold in the U.S. come from all over the world, including locations 
which have no bans on finning. The United States is in the top 15 
shark-fin-importing countries in terms of volume. It is highly likely 
that shark fins sold in the United States come from sharks that have 
been brutally finned from places that allow shark finning.
  Some populations have declined by up to 90 percent in recent decades 
leaving almost 25 percent of shark and ray species at risk of 
extinction. These global populations are currently threatened by this 
practice and instituting this ban will help to reduce the demand for 
shark fins and conserve these species while still allowing the sales of 
shark meat and products.
  My home state of Illinois has already enacted a law prohibiting the 
shark fin trade joining 12 states and 3 territories that already have 
laws banning the sale of shark fins, similar to this bill.
  I voted yes on this bill and applaud my colleagues who also voted in 
favor of H.R. 737, the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act.

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