The fishermen don't detach the fins from the body, leave them connected to the spine

Nov 11, 2013 20:31 GMT  ·  By

Recent news from Costa Rica says that fishermen in this part of the world have figured out a way to bypass the shark finning ban in place in this part of the world, and are now back to business as usual.

The ban fishermen in this country should abide by says that sharks must not be caught and killed for their fins alone. Thus, whatever fins the fishermen bring to shore after a hard day's work must still be attached to the animal's body.

The problem is that, for the time being at least, the ban does not clearly state that the shark's body is expected not to be butchered while at sea.

According to Mongabay, this loophole made it possible for fishermen in Costa Rica to kill sharks, keep their spine and the fins that are attached to it through a small band of skin, and throw the rest of the animals' body back into the water.

“This method is aimed at circumventing legislation banning finning which states that the fins of the shark must be ‘naturally attached’ to the body,” reads a Purple Notice on the matter at hand issued by the Interpol.

Local authorities are expected to take measures and see to it that fishermen can no longer take advantage of this loophole in the country's ban on shark finning to butcher these animals as they see fit.

The same source tells us that, since the 1990s until present day, the international shark fin trade has been steadily developing.

This is chiefly because people in East Asia have really taken a liking to these animal body parts and now consume them on a regular basis either because they view them as a delicacy, or because they think they have medicinal properties.

“Optimistic” reports say that about 30 million sharks are killed each year in order to meet the global demand for fins. However, several organizations believe that the total numbers of sharks killed by fishermen annually amounts to 100 million.