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Dear Sirs,
I received the following letter from the Shark
Research Institut.
Next week, a final decision on the regulations on
shark finning will be taken in the EU. You would be able to help in the last
moment to take some measures against the cruel practice of shark finning.
What is shark finning, the incredibly brutal way of
killing? The fins of the sharks are cut off while the animals are still
alive, and the mutilated animals are thrown into the sea alive, where they
die an agonising death.Unfortunately, the demand for this practice is still
there, first of all in Asian countries, and the extinction of the animals is
foreseeable - unless immediate measures are taken.
The USA has thankworthily prohibited shark finning at
the beginning of last year. It is high time that the EU joined this
prohibition as well.
Please send the text to one of the following contacts:
Mr Jorgen Holmquist- Commissioner for
Agriculture, Rural Development & Fisheries -
jorgen.holmquist@cec.eu.int ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear ######I am writing to you on behalf of the Shark Research Institute (USA) to express our serious concerns about the proposed EU regulation on shark finning. As time has passed, the proposal has become increasingly weaker and the current draft is virtually meaningless. The obvious regulation to enact is one that ensures that all sharks caught by EU-registered vessels or those flying the flag are landed whole, with their fins attached. However, it was decided early in the negotiations that vessels obtaining a "special fishing permit" would be able to continue removing fins on board. That, in itself, was a significant derogation, since there are no controls on how many special permits may be granted by each Member State. A new amendment now proposes that, in circumstances where fins were removed on board, the fins could be landed at one port and bodies at another. This would make enforcement totally impossible, particularly since EU vessels operate all over the world. Furthermore, in cases where fins are removed on board, the landed fins should weigh no more than 5% fin to eviscerated (dressed) body weight. This would conform with regulations in the US and Australia. However, the Commission is instead considering a proposal to allow for a 5% fin to whole body weight ratio. We calculate that, by allowing 5% fin to whole body weight ratio, fishers will be able to fin two out of every three sharks that they catch, and still be able to produce the "correct" balance of fins and carcasses on the quayside. The only "regulation" appears to be that masters of vessels fill in their logbooks written details of the weight of fins and bodies landed or sold at the various ports. However, logbooks alone are not sufficient to ensure compliance. This is not even deserving of the term "regulation". The EU is the world's largest exporter of shark fins and, as such, it has a responsibility towards ensuring sustainable shark populations for the future. In the interests not only of shark conservation but also of the world's marine ecosystems we urge you to ensure that the EU Fisheries Commission enacts regulations which stipulate that all shark fins and bodies must be landed simultaneously and that the weight of the fins should not exceed 5% of the eviscerated weight of the shark. Thank you for considering our views. Sincerely, ###### ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sharks are especially affected by
the plundering of the sea.
Please help the sharks - every
voice counts!
Thank you for your help.
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