Shark finning in Belgium
Hondshaai in de vismijn van Oostende. © Helga D’Havé
Several shark species are endangered. According to scientists approximately 73 million sharks are yearly culled to sustain the increasing demand for shark fins by Asian markets. Shark fin soup is a very expensive Chinese delicacy, something fishermen are aware of. The demand for fins led to the practice of shark finning, where the fins are being cut off at sea while the rest of the shark body is thrown back into the water. Since 2003 shark finning is prohibited by a European law, but the law contains loop holes. In Belgium yearly 500 ton sharks are being caught. Even Belgian fishermen are not afraid of shark finning. In our article we describe a case of shark finning, where a Belgian fishing vessel was caught on sea with two fins of a basking shark in the ship’s freezer.
The article (in Dutch only) was published in EOS magazine nr. 2 (February 2011) and is available for download (pdf).
