Shark Alliance joins Italian MEP in urging European Parliament to support closing the loopholes in EU ban on shark finning

Press Releases and Statements February 29, 2012 Read time:

Projects: Shark Alliance

ROME — Today, as part of the European Parliament’s considerations of the European Commission’s proposal to strengthen the EU ban on shark finning (slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea), Mr. Andrea Zanoni, Member of the European Parliament's Committee on Environment and MEP of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, introduces a report that reinforces the Commission’s legislative proposal to end all shark fin removal on board vessels by requiring that sharks be landed with their fins still naturally attached. Such a requirement is increasingly accepted as the simplest, most reliable way of preventing shark finning.

“Sharks play an essential role in marine ecosystems and the practice of finning represents a useless waste of resources,” said MEP Andrea Zanoni – “It’s critical that we at last close all the loopholes in the EU finning ban by prohibiting shark fin removal on-board all vessels, as urged in 2010 Resolution of the European Parliament. The 'fins naturally attached' policy also allows for improved species-specific data, essential for shark population assessment and fisheries management.”

Last October, during European Shark Week, thousands of Italian citizens joined others across the EU in calling for greater protection for threatened sharks and to close the loopholes in the current EU finning Regulation.

"The Shark Alliance welcomes Mr. Zanoni’s sound report - and urges all other MEPs to strongly support its decided stance against wasteful shark finning,” said Serena Maso, national Italy coordinator of Shark Alliance.