Wednesday 4 September 2013

Shark Fin ban is of little help says experts

U Sudhakar Reddy
While hailing the Shark fin ban to curb the torture of sharks in the
marine habitat experts warned that more important is implementation of policy.  Experts
say that the ban will be of little help as the most of the finning and trading take place
offshore away from the coast. The ban on finning is aimed to prevent the exports to china
which is used for making shark fin soup.

Andhra Pradesh coastline has been witnessing severe depletion of shark population due to
indiscriminate finning.  Lakhs of sharks are killed every year to meet the demand for
shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy.
Ministry of Forest and Environment has issued a policy on shark fins and the police is
aimed to curb shark finning a practice that occurs when fisherman catches sharks, cut off
their finds and throw the live animal back into water where they die a painful death.
Mr. Rajeev Mathen Mathew expert committee member of AP Biodiversity Board says,” Sharks
are caught off shore.  Fisherman on foreign vessels on the borders of territorial waters
of the country waters have been reported to engage in shark finning.  It is very
difficult to monitor these transactions off shore when they are really traded. The policy
on paper will not help. There shall be strict vigilance and it has to be implemented,”
Humane Society International in India wildlife campaign manager C Samyuktha says “We are
overjoyed at India’s decision to adopt a fins naturally attached policy, which experts
worldwide agree is necessary to protect sharks from the cruelty of finning. Humane
Society International has been campaigning hard to see this policy enacted, and we are
delighted authorities have taken this crucial step.”
Experts who are hailing the move also said enforcement is important as India is one of
the largest exporters of shark fins in the world.
Mr. Bhanu Sridharan of Researchers for Wildlife Conservation said,” In the long term, it
is crucial for the Central Government to also develop an effective mechanism for
preventing illegal foreign fishing vessels from engaging in shark finning in Indian
waters, as this is detrimental to marine biodiversity and to the livelihoods of Indian
fishing communities.”
Mr. Gajender Sharma of World Society for Protection of Animals said: “It’s now important
that this policy is fully enforced to safeguard the welfare of sharks, and to end the
inhumane practice of finning in India. This will also provide sharks with a fair chance
of survival, which in turns helps to maintain a balanced marine ecosystem.

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