Shark Laws with Teeth: How Deep Can U.S. Conservation Laws Cut into Global Trade Regulations

Authors

Kaitlin M. Wojnar, George Mason University School of Law

First Page

185

Abstract

Controversy surrounding application of the Shark & Fishery Conservation Act of 2010 (Shark Conservation Act) reflects a culmination of competing interests between environmental conservation and international free trade. Non-governmental organizations are pressuring the United States (U.S.) government to use the Shark Conservation Act to impose trade sanctions against countries that do not have specific regulations on shark finning. The implementation of such import bans, however, could negatively impact the nation’s relationships with some of its principal trade partners and violate international obligations under multilateral trade treaties. This Note proposes that the U.S. cannot impose such an embargo on shark products without first laying a foundation for its actions in international custom or treaty.

Recommended Citation

Kaitlin M. Wojnar, Shark Laws with Teeth: How Deep Can U.S. Conservation Laws Cut into Global Trade Regulations, 19 Animal L. Rev. 185 (2012).
Available at: https://lawcommons.lclark.edu/alr/vol19/iss1/8