Fisheries/shark finning

The Greens welcomed a vote by the European Parliament today supporting proposed legislation to ban shark finning. The Greens have long supported the outlawing of this odious and wasteful fishing practise and welcomed the support of MEPs to support a definitive ban and remove loopholes in the legislation. After the vote, Green fisheries spokesperson Raül Romeva stated:

"An unequivocal EU ban on the odious and wasteful practise of shark finning will finally become reality after today's vote. MEPs have voted to prohibit the removal of shark's fins on board, making it mandatory to land sharks with the fins naturally attached. This will allow the EU ban to finally be implemented without exceptions. Despite EU legislation on shark finning existing since 2003, loopholes enabled this barbaric and wasteful practise to continue. Thankfully, a majority of MEPs has voted for an outright ban, and rejected attempts to preserve these loopholes.

"Every year millions of sharks are caught, their fins hacked off and the bodies simply discarded to meet the demand for shark fin soup in Asia. This is not only a senseless waste, it also puts pressure on threatened shark species. Banning shark finning in European fisheries is an important step but the EU should also advocate for the practise to be outlawed at international level."