14 DAY TRIAL // The European Union is one of the main shark fin suppliers to the Chinese market, which absorbs this merchandise from all over the world. But, in order to be able to sell the delicacies, the EU must first have them. And the problem with that is the fact that these fins are usually attached to sharks. Stripping the animals of them is usually fatal. In Scotland, for example, fishermen can apply for a special permit, which allows them to catch the fish, cut off their fins while they're conscious, and then throw the carcass, which is worth next to nothing, back into the ocean.
UK Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead announced that a Brussels meeting on Thursday drew the main lines of action in a new European plan, designed to curb this barbaric practice once and for all. He is quoted by the BBC as saying that the ban went even further in Scotland, where permits to remove the fins off the sharks would only be granted under extraordinary circumstances, and not to just everyone who applied for them. If the new action is approved by all the member states of the EU, then the granting of permits could be stopped dead on its tracks.
“We know that some shark populations are critically endangered, and that is why we are proposing even tougher restrictions in Scotland, sending out a strong message. We are one of Europe's most important fishing nations and we have a huge interest in maintaining the sustainability of our seas, their stocks and the wider marine ecosystem. I welcome the fact that across Europe commitments are being made to review existing regulations on shark finning. I strongly believe it's a wasteful and damaging practice. In Scotland, we will not sit back and wait for things to happen. We are determined to develop robust, workable procedures, proving beyond doubt that we are leading the rest of Europe on the conservation front,” the UK official said.
Environmental groups were understandably thrilled with the new decision, and said that the EU was finally heading in the right direction, as far as protecting the sharks from such abusive treatments went.
“The shark fin trade encourages unsustainable mortality and unacceptable waste – these proposals will ensure compliance and potentially reduce the requests for permits to near zero. Mr Lochhead has recognized the urgent need for strict management measures for sharks and Scotland is setting a fine example to the rest of the UK and Europe,” the Shark Trust Director of Conservation, Ali Hood, praised the initiative.
“As well as being an incredibly wasteful practice, with over 90% in weight of the shark discarded, many shark species are threatened with extinction. Only effective control and enforcement, such as the measures proposed here, will protect these vulnerable species. Once again, Scotland looks set to be at the forefront of fisheries conservation,” WWF Scotland marine policy officer Louize Hill added.