The Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament has supported a strict ban on shark finning in EU waters and on EU vessels worldwide.
Their report, which was voted on this morning in Brussels, recommends closing several loopholes in the current European policy on finning, by removing an exemption that allowed some vessels to remove shark fins at sea.
The text will now move to the Plenary where the final parliamentary vote will be taken.
Oceana has commended the European Parliament for supporting the ban.
“We are thrilled that the Committee has seized the opportunity to rectify this long-standing problem,” said Xavier Pastor, executive director of Oceana Europe. “The vote of the Fisheries Committee sends a strong message to the wider Parliament: the EU, which catches the largest share of sharks worldwide, must set a global example when it comes to policy on shark finning.”
