In some countries, shark fins are considered a delicacy. This results in severe animal cruelty. An initiative with a prominent supporter is now successfully urging the EU Commission to act.
The EU Commission wants to do more to stop the torture of sharks. For example, an EU law against the trade in fins could be introduced, as the Commission announced on Wednesday. The Brussels authority responded to the demands of the citizens’ initiative “Stop finning – Stop the trade”, which is committed to an end to the trade in shark fins from Europe.
More than a million EU citizens support the initiative, according to the information, most of the supporters – more than 475,000 – come from Germany. One of them is therefore singer Udo Lindenberg (77). The fact that the initiative is supported by so many citizens is a clear signal, said the EU Commission.
In the so-called finning, the fins of the sharks are cut off, whereby the animals are often still alive. The rest of the body is then thrown back into the sea. “In the case of this mutilation, the animals are usually fully conscious and no longer able to swim, they sink to the sea floor, where they bleed to death or suffocate,” says the website of the citizens’ initiative.
Finning has been banned in the EU since 2003. Thus, the fins cannot be removed from the shark’s body before landing. From the citizens’ initiative point of view, additional legislation is needed to ban trade. According to the initiative, 45 percent of the fins imported into Asia come from the EU.
The EU Commission now wants to ensure that traceability measures are better enforced along the entire value chain. Among other things, it is about controlling fishing at sea and preventing illegal trade. In addition, the EU wants to advocate a global ban on finning.
Source: Stern
