Finning – the process of cutting a shark’s fins off while at sea, and dumping the body back into the ocean – has been banned for sharks in the waters around the United States. One shark species, however, has missed being protected, according to shark advocate Sonja Fordham.
Fordam, president of Shark Advocates International, says the fins are highly valued and often used for soup.
In 2010, Congress passed the Shark Conservation Act. It put into place additional shark conservation measures, but exempted the smooth dogfish from the most stringent enforcement rules. The species, also known as smooth-hound sharks, can be found off the Atlantic coast.
Fordam is worried about the consequences of exempting this shark. “It leaves wiggle room from undetected finning, and also put species whose fins can look like this – smooth dogfish also – at risk for finning.”
Fordham is urging shark conservationists to push Congress to lift the exemption so all sharks will be protected equally.
