Shark Finning Amendments a Success for Conservation

12.37.44pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 2nd Oct 2006

Conservationists are celebrating the European Parliament's decision last Thursday which called for a decrease in the number of sharks that can be 'finned' - the cruel practice which sees valuable shark fins removed and the rest of the shark's carcass dumped at sea.

MEPs successfully managed to block an attempt to increase the number of sharks caught for this purpose, voting instead for counter amendments which will reduce the proportion of shark fins that could be landed in relation to carcasses to 2%.

Speaking following the decision, South West MEP Graham Watson, leader of the Alliance of Liberal Democrats for Europe, who supported the amendments, commented:

'This is a success for conservation. The new report should help raise the profile of the shark finning issue and help ensure the survival of the species.'