U.S. Government Issues Shark Finning Ban in Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico Waters

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) today filed new rules that will require federal shark fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico to land sharks with their fins still naturally attached. Previous federal regulations required only that fins and carcasses be brought to dock in a specific ratio, allowing shark fins to be cut off at sea.

The new fins-attached landing policy, part of Amendment 2 to the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fisheries Management Plan, will aid conservation by facilitating species identification and data collection and by ensuring that fishermen are not engaged in shark finning at sea. It also includes an 85 percent reduction in fishing for sandbar sharks.

"The new rules are a milestone for U.S. shark conservation," - Elizabeth Griffin, marine wildlife scientist at Oceana