The UK takes another step to protect endangered sharks

News Release

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

18 June 2012

Endangered sharks will be given greater protection following the signing of an international agreement on the conservation of sharks, Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon announced today.

The agreement, the first of its kind to address the global conservation of sharks, was signed by Richard Benyon on behalf of the UK and a number of our Overseas Territories.

Adopted under the Convention of Migratory Species it will help develop management measures to protect threatened species such as basking, longfin mako and whale sharks.

Many of these sharks are not only found in UK waters, but in the waters of our Overseas Territories making their involvement crucial in ensuring these animals get the protection they need.

Signing the agreement, Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon said:

“We must do all we can to protect these vulnerable species before they are lost forever.

“The UK is already pushing the EU to tighten controls on the wasteful and barbaric practice of shark finning, and this agreement further demonstrates our determination to ensure they do have a future.

“We will continue to lead the way on shark conservation internationally and will push for improvements wherever they’re needed.”

Under the agreement, work will focus on improving fisheries data for threatened shark species to help inform conservation and management actions.  It will see better co-ordination of shark management and conservation measures at regional and international levels, including proposals to limit the catch or trade in endangered species of shark.

Today’s signing also extended the agreement to the UK Overseas Territories of Bermuda, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Indian Ocean Territories and Crown Dependency of the Isle of Man.

Notes
The UK is the 24th signatory to the Memorandum of Understanding on shark conservation agreed under the Convention on Migratory Species.

Other species of shark covered under the agreement are shortfin, white, porbeagle and Northern hemisphere populations of the spiny dogfish.

More information can be found at: http://www.cms.int/species/sharks/sharks_bkrd.htm

Source: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

 

 

2 Comments

  1. Angel

    That is good news…
    We hope others will follow…

  2. Being from England I was not brought up with the belief that this soup is part of tradition, but I do know that to kill any living thing & to use such a small part is wrong.This is Barbaric, it has to stop & it will because they will soon disappear from our oceans. Let’s bring it into our world, above the waves & maybe it becomes clearer. So I will try, It is like cutting off a persons ears & then killing them. All would object to that sort of practice but that is really a good comparison. I have never wanted to taste such a distasteful soup, any one out there who continues this behaviour, has no morals! I have S.C.U.B.A. dived the world since I was 17 years old, had the enjoyment of the sight of many sharks on my many dives but sadly I see they are getting very thin in numbers. I am now 58 years old & if this does not stop I will out live a creature that was around when the dinosaur’s roamed the earth & that is scary. Sorry to go on, (but I am not) it has to be said & thank you for your support. Keep up all the good work.                                                                                                                 Neil ‘H’ London, England.

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