EUROPEAN NEWSFLASH: Good news - the EC takes a significant step in the right direction!

Following the Shark Trust shark bike ride from London to Brussels and our joint EU shark campaign with WildAid, we are pleased to confirm that Chris Davies MEP and received the following letter from J. Currie, Director General of the European Commission, Directorate-General Environment:

Dear Mr Davies,

Commissioner Wallstrom asked me to thank you and reply to the submitted signatures of UK supporters of the campaign of the Shark Trust urging public authorities to implement a shark management plan and a ban on shark finning in EU waters.

The high number of adhesions to the campaign - we have estimated about 31,000 signatures - indicates how sensitive the UK public is to the problem of sharks. In this respect, we must congratulate Shark Trust for the success of their initiative.

I am in a position to inform you that, following your intervention in the Committee on the Environment of the European Parliament on 25th June 2001, the services of the Commission concerned (Environment and Fisheries) have launched consultation to take swift action on the issue. On the one hand, we are convinced that, even if shark finning is not at present a problem in Community waters, any action undertaken at Community level will have repercussions in the international context and thus will contribute to the solution of the problem in other areas where it may be more severe.

On the other hand, we agree that shark populations necessitate special protection limiting their mortality rates to sustainable levels. The Community will soon launch research funding initiatives to enhance our scientific knowledge in the context of the International Plan of Action (IPOA) for the protection of sharks. Moreover, more efficient management rules for sharks, as for other sensitive fish stocks, will be the subject of special attention in the context of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy which is due for the end of 2002 and on which concrete proposals will see the light in a few months.

I am copying this letter to the Secretariat of the Shark Trust.

J. Currie Director General



We are clearly delighted that the EC is beginning to take our cause seriously and would like to thank all those who have given their support - especially London Aquarium and Sea-life Centres who jointly collected many of the bike ride Stop shark finning petition signatures.

Please note that Shark Trust and Wild Aid maintain that at least 5 million sharks are being finned by EU registered boats in North Atlantic waters and world-wide. It is vital that Shark Trust/WildAid campaign to ban shark finning and the implement IPOA sharks in EU waters and by EU vessels world-wide achieve success during the current review of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Shark finning is extremely wasteful, negates responsible shark fishery management and is often very cruel. If you have not already done so please sign the Stop shark finning petition on this website and encourage friends and colleagues to do likewise now! Thank you for your support.