The EU recently proposed laws that would close the loopholes in the current shark finning regulations. Scientific advice was given as the main reasoning behind these new changes.
Approximately half of all ocean going shark species are either threatened or endangered.
The loophole that they are trying to close is the one regarding “relative weight”. Under the current regulations fishermen can land sharks, cut off their fins, and then dump them back into the ocean. Activists claim that the way the system is now can easily be manipulated by fishermen to allow the before mentioned body dumping.
Under the proposed regulations, fishermen must “land detached fins and carcasses in a ratio of weights that is supposed to ensure that everything makes it to port – one carcass for every fin.”
Another mandate that they are considering is one that requires all sharks landed must still have their fins attached. This is similar to a regulation that in the US for its shark fisheries.
“Sharks are very vulnerable to overexploitation, and the consequences of depleting their numbers may have very serious consequences not only for sharks but also for marine ecosystems and for fishermen themselves,” said EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg.
Activists do no believe that the regulations go far enough to truly protect sharks. This belief is readily expressed by Oceana’s director of investigations, Ricardo Aguilar: “We have got a vague document which does not contain measures to achieve the goal of conservation and sustainable management of sharks. Key omissions include a commitment to the precautionary approach, and integration with existing EU and global environmental measures that aim to protect threatened sharks and their habitats.”
