
When commercial fishermen catch animals that are not their desired catch, they call those animals "bycatch." These unwanted animals are then thrown back overboard dead, dying, or injured.
Tens of millions of sharks are caught unintentionally as bycatch in commercial fisheries every year. Some of the most troublesome fishing gears for sharks are longlines, trawls, and gillnets.
Senate Introduces Bill to End Shark Finning in U.S. on Earth Day (April 22, 2009)
House of Representatives Passes True Shark Finning Ban (March 3, 2009)
New Congress Jumpstarts Session with Introduction of Bill to End Shark Finning in U.S. (January 6, 2009)
New Survey Finds Economic Incentive for Protecting Ocean Resources (August 21, 2008)