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Great white shark taken off of the coast of Mexico near Guadalupe. Photograph by Jim Abernethy courtesy of Pew

Matt Rand, director of global shark conservation for the Pew Environment Group, issued the following statement on August 8, 2011 in response to Chilean President Sebastián Piñera’s signing of Chile’s ban on shark finning. This new regulation requires that any fisherman who catches these animals must land them with their fins naturally attached, meaning that the whole body must be taken to port intact. The law was published on August 8, 2011 in the Diario Oficial.

Shortfin mako. This photograph was taken off of San Diego, California by Masa Ushioda. Photograph courtesy of Sea Pics

“Through its new law to ban shark finning, Chile has become a leader in the conservation of some of the ocean’s most important and imperiled species. Up to 73 million sharks are killed every year around the globe primarily for their fins, which are most often consumed in Asia in shark fin soup. This unsustainable trade is fueled by shark finning, the wasteful act of slicing off the fins and discarding the body at sea.

“Accompanying the ban is a pledge from the fisheries undersecretary, Pablo Galilea, to end the Chilean fleet’s use of wire leaders in longline fishing gear, which will help to reduce the large number of sharks caught by fishermen seeking swordfish or tuna. While these valuable fish cannot chew through alternative gear, such as monofilament leaders, sharks can—and, when they do, they swim free.

Blue shark. This photograph was taken off of Narragansett, Rhode Island by Karin Leonard. Photograph courtesy of the Marine Photobank

“An estimated 53 species of sharks are found in Chilean waters. These two measures will help to keep that diversity in the sea and out of the fin market. We look forward to continuing our work with the Chilean government to safeguard threatened species and establish protected areas that are important for sharks and other marine life.”  

“The United States banned shark finning earlier this year and since then the Marshall Islands and the U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands have enacted bans on the possession, sale or distribution of shark fins,”  The Pew Environment Group said on 8 August 2011. “And just within the last month, the Bahamas and Honduras created shark sanctuaries, where shark fishing is prohibited. Those countries joined Palau and the Maldives, which have passed laws based on their realization that live sharks for tourism can generate more money than dead ones.”

 This news is from the Pew Environment Group of the Pew Charitable Trusts.

For the Spanish version of this news click here. PDF

This news is also presesnted on Horizon International's coral reefs and oceans website, Magic Porthole at www.coralreefs.co and www.magicporthole.org

Pew: Sharks in Trouble

This year has seen major shark conservation actions taken around the world, but more action is needed by many more countries. This video, a companion to a report by the Pew Environment Group, illustrates how these animals are threatened by commercial fisheries throughout the world's oceans. It points out that, according to global reports, shark populations have declined by as much as 70 to 80 percent. Scientists estimate that 30 percent of all shark species are threatened or near-threatened with extinction. For more information please visit: pewenvironment.org/sharks


Pew: Chile Bans Shark Finning

This new law requires that fishermen who catch sharks, intentionally or as by-catch, must land them with their fins naturally attached. Up to 73 million sharks are killed every year around the globe primarily for their fins, which are most often consumed in Asia in shark fin soup. This unsustainable trade is fueled by shark finning, the wasteful act of slicing off the fins and discarding the body at sea. For more information please visit pewenvironment.org/sharks