Washington, D.C. — Born Free USA, a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation, commends the New Jersey Senate Economic Growth Committee for passing S. 2057. Sponsored by state Senators Raymond Lesniak (D-20) and Christopher Bateman (R-16), this bill is an important step toward reducing the shark fin trade that devastates shark populations worldwide. Born Free USA Program Associate Kate Dylewsky testified in Trenton today in support of the legislation. She urged the committee to pass the bill in its full form.[teaserbreak]
According to Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA and the Born Free Foundation, “Shark finning is a particularly cruel practice in which people cut the fins off live sharks and return their bodies to the water where the sharks inevitably die. The animals who are cast back into the ocean suffer slow, painful deaths by drowning or blood loss. This is not a fate that any animal should suffer.”
Shark fins are most often used in shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy that has made the fins the most lucrative part of the animal. Fins that are introduced through ports, such as those in New Jersey, are shipped to markets across the nation, which contributes to the demand for this cruel product.
Roberts adds, “Conservation crises of this scale demand a widespread response. Shark finning does not threaten just a few sharks, but 73 million sharks every year worldwide. Many of these sharks are endangered species.” As the apex predator at the top of ocean food chains, they are crucial to the survival of ecosystems.
As more states in the U.S. pass bans on shark fins, the global threat to shark populations is reduced. Born Free USA urges the rest of the New Jersey legislature to follow the committee’s lead and take a stand against this horrific practice by banning the trade of shark fins in the state.
Born Free USA is a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation, and public education, Born Free USA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic “pets,” trapping and fur, and the destructive international wildlife trade. Born Free USA brings to America the message of “compassionate conservation” — the vision of the U.K.-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son Will Travers. Born Free’s mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. More at www.bornfreeusa.org, www.twitter.com/bornfreeusa, and www.facebook.com/bornfreeusa.
Media Contact: Rodi Rosensweig, 203/270-8929, therodicompany@gmail.com