UAE Helps Stop Shark Finning

Image Credit: Wikimedia

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has implemented new regulations to prevent shark fishing, which is illegal in the UAE to begin with.

Dr. Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, Minister of the Environment & Water,  implemented these regulations to limit the shark hunting for their fins and prevent the horrifying practice of throwing shark bodies back into the ocean after removing the fin. Removing shark fins and subsequently dumping the body results in a very slow and painful death for these poor creatures, creating a serious need for shark finning regulations.

Shark finning is big business because the actual fin (and only the fin) is used for food and medicine. According to the UN, around 70 million of these fascinating creatures are killed every year for that sole purpose. The fins are usually made into soups or other traditional medicines in China and other far east countries.

We shouldn’t have to point out the horrible waste this practice produces and the absolute lack of science behind the medicinal use.

The new regulations will now make it illegal to export sharks caught in UAE waters and also requires that sharks that are caught outside of territorial waters be brought back to port fully intact. Shark importing, however, is unaffected by the new regulations. Permits must still be secured for either the exporting or importing of sharks.

I don’t know about you, but a $100 dollar bowl of soup is not worth a shark’s life.

It’s great to see the UAE taking steps to ensure that these creatures are treated with the respect that they deserve. If other countries decide to follow in the steps of the UAE, the ocean’s ecosystem will be much better place for all marine life– not just sharks.