On January 4, 2011, the Shark Conservation Act of 2010 (SCA) was signed into law, amending the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Congress passed the law to address concerns about shark finning—the practice of removing the fin or fins from a shark and discarding the remainder of the shark at sea.
The SCA prohibits any person from removing shark fins at sea or possessing, transferring, or landing shark fins unless they are naturally attached to the corresponding carcass. NOAA Fisheries is proposing a rule to implement some of the domestic provisions of the SCA. Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted until June 17, 2013.
Shark Conservation Act – Proposed Rule
The proposed rule is intended to bring U.S. federal domestic shark fisheries into compliance with the requirements of the SCA. The SCA also includes a “savings clause” for individuals engaged in commercial fishing for smooth dogfish, and NOAA Fisheries is developing a separate rule to address that issue.
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