EU nations have agreed to work harder to protect the 80 types of sharks that swim in European waters, many of which have been excessively hunted.
The EU's 27 fisheries ministers on Friday backed a ban on catching sharks only to cut of their fins _ which are a gastronomic delicacy in Asia, especially China. The EU also wants to institute special no-catch zones to serve as safe havens for sharks.
Because of their long life spans and low fertility rates, sharks are very vulnerable to overfishing.
A study by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature suggests as many as one-third of the 80 types of sharks in EU waters are now threatened by overfishing.
Ten of millions of sharks are killed across the globe every year.
No comments:
Post a Comment