Shark finning to be banned from Oct. in New Zealand
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E-mail Xinhua, August 20, 2014
A complete ban on shark finning, or catching sharks solely for their fins, in New Zealand waters will be brought forward by two years, the New Zealand government confirmed Wednesday.
The total ban was originally set for October 2016, but Conservation Minister Nick Smith and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy announced that the ban on all shark finning would take effect from Oct. 1 this year.
"Implementing this ban has happened much faster than originally proposed. It reinforces New Zealand's strong international reputation for sustainability and protecting our natural environment," Smith said in a statement.
"Sharks play an important role in our marine ecosystems, and we need to ensure the appropriate management of the 113 species of shark in our waters."
The government announced in January the first tranche of shark species would be covered by ban from October this year, a second tranche from Oct. 1 next year, and only the highly migratory blue sharks would be left until Oct. 1, 2016.
"However, consultation with fisheries stakeholders and the public showed that there was widespread support to implement a ban as quickly as possible," Guy said in the statement.
It was already an offense under the Animal Welfare Act to remove the fin from a shark and return it to the sea alive. The ban would also make it illegal to catch a shark, kill it, remove its fins and dump the carcass at sea.
"This approach will effectively eliminate finning in New Zealand and at the same time, it shouldn't have undue impacts on fishing operations where shark finning doesn't occur and sharks are fully utilized," Guy said.
Shark fins are valuable for making shark fin soup, which is a delicacy in Asia, and for the production of many traditional Asian medicines.
Globally 30 percent of shark species are threatened or near threatened with extinction. Sharks are vulnerable because they grow slowly, mature late and have few young over their lifetimes.
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