This UK Government Policy Paper on its Action Plan for Animal Welfare addresses shark finning – a topic we have worked on for years. The paper announces the plan to bring in legislation to ban the import and export of shark fins, in addition to the current ban on the practice of finning.
“The UK has a strong track record in marine conservation, and we have been pressing for stronger international action to protect sharks against unsustainable fishing practices and shark finning. Shark finning is the practice of removing a shark’s fins at sea and discarding the finless body back in the water. It is a barbaric practice that has rightly been banned in the UK for nearly 20 years, but we do still import shark fins which may contribute to the practice. To this end, we will bring in legislation to ban the import and export of detached shark fins.”
