EC moves to eradicate shark finning

EUROPEAN UNION
Thursday, November 18, 2010, 01:10 (GMT + 9)

The European Commission (EC) wants to abolish shark finning in the European Union (EU) and on fishing vessels from the Union anywhere in the world. EU legislation banned shark finning in 2003, but controlling adherence to the ban under the current system is difficult.

To fortify the existing legislation, the EC is requesting that the scientific community, the industry, Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs), NGOs and any interested parties offer their opinions over a 12-week consultation period starting this week. The input received plus the latest scientific knowledge from across the globe will together help feed a proposal for a new and more effective EU law to completely ban shark finning.

The practice of shark finning is prohibited by RFMOs and is illegal almost worldwide. It adds to the excessive mortality and stock depletion of several shark species, many of which are already seriously endangered.

But shark finning persists illegally because the lucrative fins can fetch dozens of times more money per kg than the rest of the shark meat. And with limited on-board storage space, fishers have a strong incentive to discard carcasses but keep the fins.

As it has become apparent that the current system controls do not allow for 100 per cent accuracy, the fishing industry, NGOs and RFMOs all agree that the legislation should be revised. In 2009, the EC vowed to perform such a revision in its Action Plan for the Conservation and Management of Sharks.

Loopholes in the 2003 EU regulation allow fishers to fin about two of three sharks onboard without detection or retribution. The EC is asking for input on three options for amending the relevant regulation.

Several potential solutions are envisioned for the revision. The Commission’s published consultation document gives the main options now being globally discussed by experts.

The consultation will close on 21 February 2011 and the new piece of legislation would come out in the first half of the year.

The Shark Alliance has already offered its support to the option to amend the EU ban on shark finning that would demand that fins remain naturally attached to the shark until the fishing boats return to port. This would result in tremendously improved enforcement of the law as well as allow for better species-specific catch data collection, which is key for the assessment and management of shark stocks.

“For too long, the EU has left the door open to shark finning,” said Uta Bellion, director of the Pew Environment Group’s European Marine Programme and European coordinator of the Shark Alliance. “This consultation could result in a substantial policy improvement, particularly if the one truly reliable option for preventing finning – a complete prohibition on the removal of shark fins at sea – is adopted.”

Related article:

– Warning issued at UN fish stocks review

By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com