Shark conservation gets a boost: European Commission Pushes to Close Loopholes in Shark Finning Ban
Maltese members of the Shark Alliance
welcome European proposal on shark finning
The Maltese members of the Shark Alliance, Nature Trust (Malta), Greenhouse, Sharklab and Sharkman’s World, have welcomed the European Commission’s long-awaited proposal to close the loopholes in the EU’s ban on shark finning, the wasteful practice of slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea.
The current EU regulation, adopted in 2003, is too lenient to ensure that finning does not carry on undetected and unpunished. The proposal, if adopted by the European Parliament and Council of Ministers, would ensure that all sharks taken by EU vessels or in EU waters are landed with their fins still naturally attached to their bodies. Marine conservationists and scientists recommended this policy as the most reliable means of enforcing a finning ban.
Malta has been a leader in shark conservation, having been the first country in Europe to protect shark species. Last year all five MEPs signed the declaration proposing the complete finning ban. Over the last five years, Maltese members of the Shark Alliance worked hard to raise awareness and to achieve support from the public and the Maltese authorities.
Nature Trust (Malta) executive president Vince Attard said: “Millions of sharks are finned worldwide every year. It is great to see that the EU does not want to play a part in this practice. On behalf of the other NGOs we wish to thank our MEPs and the support we received in making this proposal successful.”
Sandrine Polti, shark policy adviser to the Pew Environment Group and the Shark Alliance said: “The Commission’s proposal is a positive step toward the much-needed protection of sharks. The responsibility now lies with the fisheries ministers and members of the European Parliament for all 27 EU member states, who must agree to this proposal as the only reliable way of ensuring that sharks are not finned.”
Shark fins are the key ingredient in a traditional and expensive Asian soup. The EU, particularly Spain, is one of the world’s largest suppliers of shark fins to Asia.
The Commission has proposed ending special fishing permits – still granted by some member states – that allow fishermen to remove shark fins at sea and bring bodies and fins to port separately. Spain has issued the largest number of these permits, enough to cover its entire longline fleet. The country’s fishing industry and government are expected to continue to lead the opposition to proposed improvements in the finning ban.
Last month, as part of the fifth annual European Shark Week, tens of thousands of concerned citizens across Europe called on EU Fisheries Ministers to help close loopholes in the finning ban and to fulfill the commitments of the EU Plan of Action for sharks.
