The Sharkman meets Andrej Gajić

Ever since I have been involved with Sharks and Shark Conservation, I have been fortunate to have met and worked alongside quite a few researchers, photographers, conservationists and shark lovers. Most of the "famous" ones belong to my age group or older, but I am also glad to see a younger generation coming up. One such person is a young man from Bosnia & Herzegovina who I call my "Shark Brother" Andrej Gajić. 

I first met Andrej back in 2009 in Brussels, Belgium. We formed part of the Shark Alliance and we were campaigning for better shark conservation regulations at EU level. Since then, Andrej has come a long way in establishing himself as one of today's top Shark researchers, scientist, author, explorer and conservationist. He has even been in inducted into the National Geographic "Explorers Club". It gives me great pleasure to share with you this amazing interview I made with Andrej Gajić. 

European Citizens Must Unite To Stop Finning!

 Back in 2007 a group of NGOs from all over Europe got together under the banner of The Shark Alliance and started talks with the EU fisheries commission to close all the loopholes in the 2003 shark finning ban regulations. That year, The Shark Alliance presented over 20,000 signatures to the EU Commission asking for better regulations. 

In 2008, we continued to campaign for better Shark regulations and a total stop to shark finning. We also presented over 100,000 signatures to the EU commission.

In 2009 the EU Fisheries Commissioner released the "Plan of Action for Sharks". This was the first sign that the EU was listening to what the people wanted.

In 2010, the proposal for the ending of all finning at sea was made and this was endorsed by the Council of Ministers.

In 2011, Shark Alliance members meet and proposed the "Fins Naturally Attached - With No Exceptions" campaign.

In Spring of 2012 Parliament’s Environment Committee endorsed the proposal but Fisheries committee had some opposition. The debates were lengthy but finally, in November 2012, the European Parliament voted 566 to 47 in favour of ensuring that all sharks are landed fins naturally attached without exception. The amendments we supported were passed and those we opposed were soundly defeated. The road to victory was a hard one, but at the end, after 6 long years, we did it!

As it stands now, since 2012, the so-called “Fins Naturally Attached” regulation of the European Union prohibits without exception the storage, transhipment and landing of all shark fins in EU waters and on all EU ships. The fins must remain naturally attached to the carcass when the ship is unloaded in port. The fins can then be separated from the animal and exported to Asia.

It is now time to take further action. As of 2012, EU citizens have had the right to apply directly to the European Commission.  The Stop Finning EU Organization has initiated the European Citizens’ Initiative in order to propose a concrete legislative amendment, a total ban on the shark finning trade! To do this, your support is needed. If you are a European citizen, click here and vote now. 

SHARKS NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

European Parliament Votes at Last for Stronger Shark Finning Ban

Long-fought decision was last major hurdle on path to closing EU loopholes

Strasbourg, France (November 22, 2012): The Shark Alliance welcomes the European Parliament’s vote to close loopholes in the European Union ban on shark finning, the practice of slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea. After years of debate, 566 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted in favor of a report endorsing the European Commission’s proposal to require that fins be left naturally attached to all sharks that are brought to port.

“Parliament’s vote represents a major milestone in the global effort to end the wasteful practice of shark finning,” said Sandrine Polti, EU shark policy adviser for the Pew Environment Group and policy adviser for the Shark Alliance. “Our diverse coalition has been working toward this and other fundamental reforms in European shark policies for more than six years and is thrilled with today’s vote and the progress we expect to stem from it.”

The 2003 EU regulation that banned finning included an exception under which fishermen with permits can remove shark fins on board and then land them separately from the  bodies. Compliance is monitored through a complicated process of measuring and comparing the weights of the fins with the weight of the whole shark, which leaves significant room for undetected finning.

The European Parliament called for improvements in the EU finning ban in 2006 and urged the commission in 2010 to propose an end to at-sea shark fin removal. The commission’s proposal, released in November 2011, was endorsed by the Council of Ministers and the Parliament’s Environment Committee in the spring of 2012. The Parliament’s Fisheries Committee deliberations have been lengthy and at times confused, with several MEPs fighting hard to maintain loopholes.

“We congratulate the European Commission for leadership in this long effort and extend our gratitude to the 25 EU Fisheries Ministers and hundreds of MEPs who supported a stronger EU finning ban, as well as the tens of thousands of European citizens who encouraged them to do so,” Polti said.

“Shark Alliance member groups look forward to continued cooperation in shepherding and promoting a final ‘fins-attached’ rule and in securing complementary safeguards, such as domestic and international catch limits, to fully address the overexploitation of sharks.”

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Martin Clark

EU Coordinator for the Shark Alliance

www.sharkalliance.org

(+44 (0) 7880 565 393 (mobile); +44 (0) 207 254 0280 (office)

8 martin_clark.1@virgin.net

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Sharkman's comment.  The Shark Alliance has been working on this campaign for over 6 years. Sharkman's World Organization has been a member of the alliance since 2007. It is great to see that finally our hard work has paid off. 

In 2007, The Shark Alliance presented over 20,000 signatures to the EU Commission asking for better regulations. 

2007 - Shark Alliance members outside EU Commission in Brussels.

2007 - Over 20,000 signatures handed over to the EU Commission.

In 2008 the Shark Alliance continues to campaign for better Shark regulations and a total stop to shark finning.
Over 100,000 signatures where again presented to the commission.

2009 the EU Fisheries Commissioner releases the "Plan of Action for Sharks". This was the first sign that the EU was listening to what the people wanted.

2009 - Shark Alliance members with EU Commissioner Joe Borg.

.In 2010, the proposal for the ending of all finning at sea was made and this was endorsed by the Council of Ministers.

In 2011, Shark Alliance members meet and propose the "Fins Naturally Attached - With No Exceptions" campaign.

2011- Shark Alliance initiate the "Fins Naturally Attached - With No Exceptions."

In Spring of 2012 Parliament’s Environment Committee endorsed the proposal but Fisheries committee had some opposition. The debates were lengthy and at times very confusing  but finally, yesterday European Parliament voted 566 to 47 in favour of ensuring that all sharks are landed fins naturally attached without exception. The amendments we supported were passed and those we opposed were soundly defeated.

Once again, the road to victory was a long and hard one, but at the end, we did it!

My thanks goes out to all my fellow members at the Shark Alliance and especially to the steering committee. To all the MEP's and Ministers that supported and voted for our sharks. To all the thousands that signed our petitions and to everyone that helped make the possible. 

God bless you all.

Shark Powered

The Sharkman.

Handover of European Shark Week Books

As part of the Shark Alliance on going campaign for shark conservation, four Maltese NGOs, (Nature Trust Malta, Greenhouse, Sharklab Malta and Sharkman's World Organization), handed over European Shark Week books to Malta's Shadow Minister, Leo Brincat, and to Fisheries Director, Joseph Caruana.

The event was held in June at St. Thomas More Primary School in Marsascala. The school children showed much interest in sharks and their conservation during the previous months and had also made an exhibition of drawings. They also made a large shark, on which everyone present at the ceremony, including Mr. Caruana, left their hand print to show support.

EU start discussing Commission's proposal to close Shark Finning Loopholes

The European Parliament’s work on the Commission’s proposal to close the loopholes in the EU finning ban has begun in earnest. Here is an update from this week's news that has also just been posted to www.sharkalliance.org

Fisheries and Environment Committees Consider European Commission Proposal 1 March 2012 BRUSSELS: Shark Alliance representatives were on hand this week as the European Parliament Fisheries Committee considered and debated for the first time the European Commission’s proposal to close major loopholes in the EU ban on shark finning (slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea). The Commission has proposed ending special permits that allow fishermen to cut off shark fins at sea and land them separately from the bodies, under a derogation to the overall EU requirement for landing sharks with their fins still naturally attached. Portugal and Spain are the only EU Member States still issuing these special permits, a fact that was clearly reflected in the afternoon’s debate. Maria do Céu Patrão Neves Member of European Parliament (MEP) from Portugal started the discussion in her role as Committee Rapporteur. Despite insisting that she had an open mind on the matter and was listening to all sides, all of Patrão Neves’ arguments were based on those offered by the Portuguese and Spanish long-distance freezer vessels, which make up the EU’s largest shark fishing fleet. With little supporting documentation or specifics, she cited concerns about economic hardship, safety, hygiene, and storage to argue against the proposed “fins naturally attached” policy, and called instead for delay of the regulation and compromise measures. She questioned the Commission on why they were moving forward with the proposal, apparently forgetting that she was among the 423 MEPs to sign in 2010 a Written Declaration urging the Commission to propose a complete ban on removing shark fins on board vessels. Patrão Neves was vigorously supported by MEP Carmen Fraga from Spain, who argued, also without specific figures, against imposing this “costly measure” that would have “major repercussions” in the future.

MEPs Struan Stevenson (UK), Vice Chair of the Committee, Raül Romeva i Rueda (Spain), Chris Davies (UK), and a designee for Kriton Arsenis (Greece) argued adeptly in favor of the Commission’s proposal, casting great doubt on industry’s arguments based on examples from other countries, while highlighting the great number of vessels with special permits, the biological vulnerability of sharks, and the need for the EU to lead rather than lag behind a growing number of countries effectively imposing fins-attached policies. A representative from the European Commission reviewed the loopholes associated with the current regulation, stressed that there were practical solutions to all concerns raised, as detailed in the Impact Assessment, set the record straight regarding the number of special permits (approximately 200), and refuted the assertion that their proposal, which has been years in the making, was “hasty”. Patrão Neves, however, was “extremely disappointed” with his response, asserted that MEPs were there to “defend the fishing industry of Europe”, and reiterated her opposition to the proposal. Earlier in the day, the European Parliament’s Environment Committee discussed the same issue, beginning with a draft opinion report from MEP Andrea Zanoni from Italy that strongly supported the Commission’s proposal. Zanoni’s report then received enthusiastic endorsements from all MEPs taking the floor, including MEPs Daciana Sârbu (Romania), Sandrine Bélier (France), Martin Callanan on behalf of Julie Girling (UK), and Chris Davies (UK). The process to amend the EU finning ban will continue to heat up throughout the spring. In the coming weeks, Maria do Céu Patrão Neves is expected to release her working document with a proposed compromise for consideration by the Fisheries Committee. Her draft report as well as an informal document reflecting the views of the European Council of Fisheries Ministers should become public in mid-March. Stay tuned to the Shark Alliance website for updates on this critical process and ways that you can help us achieve a strong and enforceable EU shark finning ban.