Shark finning is technically illegal in the E.U. However, the E.U. Commission still issues permits in some cases that allow fishermen to legally fin sharks.
The cruel practice of shark finning, where a shark is caught,fishermen slice off the sharks' fins, and the shark is returned to the water, causes tens of millions of sharks to die a slow death each year. Some sharks starve to death, others are slowly eaten by other fish, and some drown because most sharks need to keep moving to force water through their gills for oxygen.
Shark finning is not only cruel, it seriously degrades the world's oceans. About one-fifth of shark, skate, and ray species are classified as threatened, with populations of the most vulnerable shark species declining by as much as 99 percent in recent years. Sharks' plummeting populations also negatively impact the larger marine ecosystem, threatening food security and throwing other species' populations out of whack. Stop this inhuman and barbaric practice all for an exotic bowl of soup.
José Manuel Barroso
President of the European Commission
1049 Brussels, Belgium
e-mail:
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/president/contact/mail/index_en.htm