Sharks don't deserve to be brutally slaughtered, yet, many of them are every year for the sake of human capital. The demand for shark fins is one of the greatest threats facing shark populations around the world. A whopping 73 million shark fins end up in the global market every year.

By signing this petition, you will be supporting efforts to ban the buying and selling of shark fins in the U.S through the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act (H.R. 737). Thus, the U.S. will reinforce its status as a leader of shark conservation.

This petition will send a message to U.S. representatives: The United States will not stand by while many shark populations continue to decline, largely due to the demand for their fins.

Finning is extremely cruel, since the other parts of the shark are thrown away or the sharks are tossed back into the ocean only to die soon after.

Although the U.S. has passed a ban on shark finning, we continue to import fins from countries with no protections for sharks. And while 12 states have passed state bans, fins continue to be imported and exported into and out of some of those states. A national ban would help ensure the U.S. no longer participates in the global shark fin trade.

As a student at UC Santa Barbara, I care a lot for the marine animals. Sharks support the world's ecosystem, and don't deserve the barbaric treatment of finning that people still practice to this day. This needs to end now. Thank you for helping save the sharks.