Scottish Government to ban shark finning – but is this enough?

Within a matter of weeks the Scottish Government will ban, in Scottish waters, the practice of removing shark fins and dumping the rest of the body in the sea.

This cruel and wasteful custom feeds – literally – the retail trade in China with the wherewithal for making sharkfin soup, a feature of the traditional cuisine.

Cabinet Secretary for Fisheries, Richard Lochhead says: ‘Some shark populations are close to extinction so I am delighted that Scotland is bringing an end to such a barbaric practice. As one of Europe’s most important fishing nations, we have a duty to show we are serious about protecting the sustainability of our seas’.

Lochhead is also lobbying the EU to close a loophole in its legislation, allowing thousands of tonnes of shark fin – worth around £450 a kilo – to be landed. He is calling for a similar ban to be put in place across Europe.

This week is European Shark Week and the Scottish Government’s announcement is designed to reinforce public awareness of this issue at an appropriate time.

Conservation bodies like The Shark Trust and the World Wildlife Fund support the Scottish Government’s lead and are urging Europe to follow it.

However, is there not a case for banning the import and sale of shark fins and of shark fin products? Cutting the market would contribute strongly to the protection of the species worldwide.