Letter

The Honorable John Kerry
218 Russell Bldg.
Second Floor
Washington D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Kerry:
I am a concerned citizen who would like your help in stopping a growing problem. In the last fifty years, shark populations have decreased immensely due to a process called shark finning. Some shark populations have decreased by over 95 percent. To date, only seventeen countries have banned shark finning. I read that you introduced a bill into the Senate that ended all shark finning in United States' waters. So, that is why I have written you this letter I would like your help in ending Chinese shark finning. Today, countries like Costa Rica and China have invested heavily in the billion-dollar shark finning industry. China imports 80 percent of all shark fins in the world. They use cruel and inhumane tactics to trap the sharks as they swim or search for food. They use longlines, which are long plastic fishing lines with large baited hooks attached to them. Some longlines can stretch as long as sixty-two miles and they catch other marine animals like turtles, fish, sea birds, and dolphins. After the Chinese fishermen gather the sharks, they only slice off their fins which can sell for up to $300. The Chinese people claim that it is a tradition to eat shark fin soup at weddings and large banquets. Many consumers eat shark fin soup in China because it is considered to be a delicacy. In today's modern world, people should not be destroying the oceans in order to attain a status in society.

I would like your help in putting pressure on the Chinese government to enforce stricter rules on shark fishermen in the hopes of someday ending the shark finning industry altogether. Since you are the current chairman of the U.S. Foreign Affairs Committee, I believe that you could influence the Chinese government into reviewing their current stance on shark finning. China and the United States have a huge foreign relationship, and if we were to work with them to end shark finning it would only strengthen our bond. You have helped make the United States look like a role model to countries like China by ending shark finning in U.S. waters. There a few different solutions that I urge you to offer the Chinese government, including educating the Chinese people about the impact that shark finning has on the environment, restricting the sale of shark fins in China, and creating fines for fishermen who do sell shark fins. The only way the problem of shark finning can be combated is through education and action. I believe that by working with the Chinese government you can come up with a plan that can end shark finning in China.

Sincerely,

Evan Schell
6131 Calle Mariselda #107
San Diego, CA 92124