AMSTERDAM (The Netherlands)- Fishermen from Spain and Portugal catch 25,000 endangered mako sharks per year in the North Atlantic, according to an analysis by Greenpeace International. The environmental organization has been tracking swordfishing industry. For every swordfish four sharks are being caught in the area. Activists from Greenpeace International confrontedContinue Reading
SCHIPHOL AIRPORT (The Netherlands)- Dutch customs officers intercepted a cargo of 217 kilos of dried shark fins on its way from Cuba to Hong Kong. Research shows that the fins are from protected species such as the Silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) and Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran). These two species areContinue Reading
Since 2015 the export of shark fins has been banned in India, thanks to the good work of Humane Society International/India and People for Animals. Petitioners sought to have the ban lifted and appealed to the Kerala High Court, claiming the ban affected “their fundamental right to trade. Last weekContinue Reading
TAIPEI (TAIWAN)- Shark fins are not only popular in Hong Kong. A survey by WildAid shows that almost half of all Thai have eaten shark fin and plan to consume it again in the future. Also Taiwan is a big consumer of shark fins, importing about 500 tons of sharkContinue Reading
WASHINGTON (USA)- Not only does she play the lead role in one of our favorite vampire series, she’s also committed to saving sharks. Oceana announced Nina Dobrev, actress and ocean advocate, as its newest Oceana Ambassador. Oceana is currently advocating for legislation that would ban the sale and trade of sharkContinue Reading
SHIF ISLAND (IRAN)- Another proof of the horror that comes with the fin trade. This week Iranian officials found hundreds of dead sharks with their fins sawed off on Shif Islan, in the Persian Gulf. Butchered and dropped finless but alive back into the sea. According to Hossein Delshab, an environmental official at theContinue Reading
MARRAKECH (Morocco)- Bad news for the shortfin mako shark. Fishing nations gathered for the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) have failed to adopt recommended limits to protect shortfin mako sharks from overfishing or strengthen the regional ban on shark finning. The onlyContinue Reading