More good news...Senate passes shark protection bill

[tex-wyo-dem]

Senate passes shark protection bill

By Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 20, 2010; 9:24 PM

The Senate passed a landmark shark conservation bill Monday that would close loopholes that had allowed the lucrative shark fin trade to continue operations off the West Coast.

The measure would require all vessels to land sharks with fins attached and would prevent nonfishing vessels from transporting fins without their carcasses. Cutting off a shark's fins and then dumping its body overboard, which is now banned off the Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico but not in the Pacific, has expanded worldwide because of a rising demand for shark's fin soup in Asia.

"Shark finning has fueled massive population declines and irreversible disruption of our oceans," said Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), the bill's author, in a statement. "Finally we've come through with a tough approach to tackle this serious threat to our marine life."

To become a law this year, the bill would need to be passed by the House, which could act as soon as Tuesday. The lower chamber has passed similar legislation written by Del. Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-Guam), and backers said they hope the House will act in the scant time it has left.

<more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/20/AR2010122004046.html>

[aquart]

1. Now if they'll only save the American people.

[Webster Green]

2. My first thought was this had something to do with banksters.

Sounds like a good bill though.

[Motown_Johnny]

3. any word on enforcement?