Help protect sharks!

Sharks across the planet face an urgent crisis of rapid population decline due to overfishing as bycatch as well as direct exploitation for their meat, fins, liver oil for squalene, and cartilage for collagen. It is estimated that about 100 million sharks are killed each year globally, with the fins from up to 73 million sharks ending up in soup. Finning has been illegal in U.S. waters since 2000 and 12 states now have bans on the sale of shark fins, but there is still no nationwide protection against the trade in shark fins. But the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act could change this.

Passed by the Senate in June, now this act needs approval by the House of Representatives. It is important that we not only ask for passage of this act but that the fin import/export provisions are kept intact. We are expecting this act will be reviewed by the House in the coming month.

You can help protect sharks! To make your voice heard, please contact your Congressional Representatives via phone and ask them to “Please support the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, H.R. 2811, to stop the trade of shark fins in the United States,” and ask that the shark fin import/export provisions are kept intact. Or, send them an email. To make it easier we have prepared sample text you can use to copy and personalize. Find the name, phone numbers, and addresses of your Representatives here.

To learn more about the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, read our recent blog.

Two options to make your voice heard:

1. Copy and paste this text into an email:

The shark fin trade accounts for approximately 73 million shark deaths a year and plays a major role in the steep decline of shark species worldwide, some populations of which have dropped by as much as 90% in recent decades. The Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act will help address these problems by prohibiting the commercial trade of shark fins and products containing shark fins. Please support the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, H.R. 2811, to stop the trade of shark fins in the United States and make the US a leader in shark conservation. 

2. Click here to Tweet to your representative

The Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act will prohibit commercial trade of shark fins and products containing shark fins in the US. [Tag your representative’s handle here] please support the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, H.R. 2811, and make the US a leader in shark conservation. #FinBanNow

Last week in celebration of International Whale Shark Day, WildAid released a short documentary called “Sharing oceans with Sharks”, starring ‘Pong’ Nawat Kulrattanarak, actor and WildAid ambassador for sharks. Pong Nawat takes viewers on a journey to Isla Mujeres, an island off the coast of Cancun, Mexico to witness one of the largest whale shark congregations and discover how locals are making efforts to reverse decades of overfishing with sustainable fishery and eco-friendly shark tourism.

“My journey showed me that there is still hope for shark conservation and every action matters. We must do our part by saying no to shark fin and call for better protection of sharks in Thailand. We need to protect the environment for the future of our children. It is our responsibility,” said Nawat Kulrattanarak.

Check out our latest blog for updates on sharks from Thailand.