A ban on shark finning
BRITAIN is to ban shark-finning, the fishermen’s barbaric practice of slicing off a live shark’s fins and discarding the remainder of the body, generally still alive, at sea.
The move is aimed at preserving the UK’s remaining sharks from destruction by commercial fishermen exploiting Asia’s booming market for shark-fin soup where 1lb of shark fin may bring up to £10.
British-licensed boats kill thousands of the animals each year, targeting species such as hammerheads, mako, threshers and blue sharks, prized for their long tails.
Scotland’s seas are home to over 25 species of shark, more than a quarter of which are officially considered to be endangered, with a further 30% threatened. Sharks are vulnerable to overfishing because they mature slowly and give birth to only a few young at a time.
SSACN has long questioned Scotland’s support for the practice especially since the EU introduced legislation to ban it in 2003.
However, industry lobbying ensured its continuance by exploiting a clause allowed EU members to grant their vessels special permits to slash fins from the majority of sharks caught, provided a few were landed intact.
According to Ian Burrett of SSACN “We have been campaigning for years for a complete ban and have long highlighted the issuing of the ‘Special permits’ by Scottish governments.
“At long last they are beginning to realise further depleting our shark stocks, most of which are already at risk, to continue this barbaric practice is untenable.”
The Scottish Fisheries Minister, Richard Lochhead plans to make an order at Holyrood which will apply to all Scottish vessels, regardless of where they fish, and to any other vessel in the Scottish zone without exception.
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