European Commission proposes full ban on shark finning at sea

The European Commission proposed today to forbid, with no exemptions, the practice of ‘shark finning’ aboard fishing vessels. Shark finning is the practice of cutting off the fins of sharks – often while they are still alive – and then throwing back into the sea the shark without its fins. The Commission proposes that from now on, all vessels fishing in EU waters and all EU vessels fishing anywhere in the world will have to land sharks with the fins still attached. To facilitate storage and handling onboard vessels, fishermen will be permitted to slice partly through each fin and fold it against the carcass of the shark. The aim of the new rules is to better protect vulnerable shark populations across the world’s oceans.

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