November 25, 2004 ? Bangkok, Thailand
The world's largest environmental conservation body has called for an end
to shark finning, the practice of cutting off fins and discarding shark bodies at sea.

At its 2004 World Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, IUCN ? the World Conservation
Union, made up of over 1000 governmental and non-governmental organizations from
over 140 countries adopted a recommendation urging all states to ban shark finning
and require shark fins to be landed attached to their bodies.

The United Nations estimates that over 100 million sharks are killed each
year and studies show that shark populations have declined by 90% around the world
in the last 50 years.

The practice of shark finning is driven by massive demand for valuable
shark fins which are used in the traditional luxury dish "shark fin soup" which can
sell for more than US$150 per bowl.

"Sharks have inhabited the oceans for over 400 million years and as top
predators in the food chain, they play a vital role in maintaining healthy
ocean ecosystems," says Randall Arauz, Director of PRETOMA, a Costa Rican
marine conservation organization and a member of the IUCN Shark Specialist
Group. "Yet sharks are disappearing at alarming rates due to massive demand for
their fins and very little regulation of shark fishing. By prohibiting shark
finning, and by landing fins attached, you conserve sharks as well as facilitate
collection of data to help assess the state of the more than 400 species of sharks."

Sharks have an uphill battle due to their erroneous depiction as man hunters.
Lightning and bee stings are actually greater threats to man.

Sharks are considered key to healthy oceans, productive fisheries and in
poor coastal communities where shark meat has long been an important source of protein.

"This will add significant weight to our requests that fishing states and regional
fisheries organizations adopt finning bans as an important contribution towards
sustainable shark fisheries management worldwide," says Sarah Fowler, Co-Chair of
the IUCN Shark Specialist Group. "We encourage governments and organizations around
the world to take note of this Recommendation and the related policies of the UN FAO
Committee on Fisheries (FAO COFI) and Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES) when adopting national and regional programs for the
conservation and sustainable management of sharks."

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT
Randall Arauz
Director of PRETOMA
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.tortugamarina.org
Tel: ++(506) 241-5227
Fax: ++(506) 236-6017


PRETOMA is a Costa Rican non-profit, non-governmental marine conservation organization.

http://www.ems.org/nws/2004/11/25/world_conservati