H.Res. 285 — Introduced in House

IV 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 285 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 28, 2013 Mr. Buchanan (for himself, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Farr, Mr. Grimm, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Young of Florida, Mr. Murphy of Florida, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. Moran, Ms. McCollum, Ms. Titus, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Linda T. Sánchez of California, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Cárdenas, Ms. Speier, Ms. Brownley of California, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. George Miller of California, Ms. Bordallo, and Ms. Meng) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should ban and prevent the import of shark fins from sharks caught through the practice of finning, and for other purposes. Whereas sharks are a vital part of a healthy ocean ecosystem; Whereas as top of the food chain predators, sharks help maintain the balance of marine life in the oceans; Whereas if shark populations continue to decline at the current rates, there will be significant and unpredictable consequences for fish populations, ocean habitats, and the overall health of the ocean; Whereas sharks are slow-growing, mature later in life, and produce few young, and thus are highly susceptible to overfishing that is severely depleting global shark populations; Whereas approximately 26,000,000 to 73,000,000 sharks are killed globally each year, and this is contributing to the decline of shark populations around the world and impacting the health of the ocean; Whereas shark finning, in which sharks are captured, their fins cut off, and their bodies thrown back into the sea, is a wasteful practice that is contributing to the devastation of shark populations worldwide; Whereas United States fishermen are held to a higher standard and are not operating on a level playing field with foreign, unregulated shark fisheries that are still engaging in shark finning; Whereas many fisheries around the world are catching sharks without limits; Whereas the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species estimates that over 30 percent of pelagic (open ocean) sharks are threatened with extinction; and Whereas several States and United States territories have recognized the global decline of shark populations and have taken actions to improve conservation of sharks, including restrictions on the sale of and trade in shark fins: Now, therefore, be it That— (1) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should ban and prevent the importation of shark fins from sharks caught through the practice of finning; and (2) the House of Representatives— (A) recognizes the threat shark finning poses to sharks; and (B) condemns the practice worldwide.