| U.S. Shark Bill Targets Finning Loopholes |
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May 7, 2008 After the U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee hearings last month, a new shark bill promising to close disturbing loopholes in existing shark fishing regulations has inched a step closer to becoming law. The bill, entitled The Shark Conservation Act of 2008, specifically addresses the problem of finning, or removal of a shark's fins for shark fin soup, folk remedies and other forms of consumption. Because of this practice, shark fins are among the world's most valuable fishing products, but the real price is that sharks are further threatened with extinction, since the marine predators usually die once their finless bodies are tossed overboard. Sharks are also a slow-growing fish, with some species producing few pups, so recovery from over-fishing is next to impossible. "The Shark Conservation Act of 2008 reestablishes the intended protections for sharks under U.S. law," said Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), who is Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans.
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