Shark finning: the European Parliament forever bans the terrible practice of cutting shark fins

    Shark finning: the European Parliament forever bans the terrible practice of cutting shark fins

    It is forbidden to cut shark fins on board fishing vessels in Europe. The European Parliament supported with a large majority (629 present, 566 in favor, 47 against and 16 abstentions) the Commission's proposal to cancel all exceptions to finning, the practice of cutting off the fins of sharks and then throwing them back into the sea.



    He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him



    Shark finning goodbye. It is forbidden to cut shark fins on board fishing vessels in Europe. The European Parliament supported with a large majority (629 present, 566 in favor, 47 against and 16 abstentions) the Commission's proposal to cancel all exceptions to finning, the practice of cutting off the fins of sharks and then throwing them back into the sea.

    In 2006 the European Parliament asked, in fact, to strengthen the EU Regulation on the finning. Currently, however, a derogation contained in the EU Regulation still allows the removal of shark fins on board European fishing vessels, effectively making controls ineffective. For this reason, the European Commission has presented an amendment proposal that provides for the elimination of all derogations and special permits, authorizing only the landing of sharks with their fins attached to the body, a method recommended by the World Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the United Nations and scientific experts.

    Although in this way it is possible to strengthen and simplify the controls, monitoring and data collection on shark populations, one of the most endangered species in the oceans due to intensive fishing and the international market for precious fins, the proposal was unfortunately opposed by Spain and Portugal, Countries that maintain strong interests in the international shark fin trade. But now, finally, it will be finning forever banned, at least in the European seas.

    Andrea Zanoni, IDV MEP who had presented a report for an opinion in the ENVI committee, rejoices: "Enough of this barbaric practice Chinese shark fin market slave With today's vote we give our support to the Commission's proposal to ban all exceptions to this terrible practice that every year costs the lives of tens of millions of sharks, which are caught, spinned and then thrown back into the water, often still alive ", reads a note. Therefore, the attempt of those who wanted to keep some exceptions on finning failed.



    The MEP was rapporteur for the report for the opinion of the ENVI Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety to the European Parliament precisely on finning: "in my report at the end of April and approved by a large majority by the ENVI committee, I clearly supported the prohibition of all exceptions to the practice of finning because the interests of shark fishing cannot possibly cause their disappearance from European seas, a hypothesis that is far from remote given that Europe is in second place worldwide for the number of shark catches “.

    This is why he wanted to strengthen the text with a series of amendments, including theextension of controls to all fishing vessels active in the maritime waters of the Union (not only to European ones), and the obligation for Member States to provide, in their annual reports to the Commission, more detailed information on shark landings, such as the identification of the species caught, the quantity of specimens, the total weight for each species and the fishing areas. "With today's vote in Strasbourg - concludes Zanoni -, we intend to put an end to this atrocious massacre that feeds the Asian market for the preparation of" shark fin soup "by supporting the Commission's proposal to give a clear blow of the sponge to all the exemptions granted so far. Sharks caught, in accordance with European rules, must be brought ashore exclusively with the fins attached to the body".



    Roberta Ragni

    Read also:

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