Debate: European Citizens' Initiative "Stop Finning – Stop the trade"
Date: THURSDAY, 11 MAY 2023
Speaker: Virginijus Sinkevičius
Language: EN

We share these concerns of citizens, and therefore we are active both within and outside the European Union when it comes to protecting sharks and promoting sustainable fishing. In view of the international dimension of the shark fin trade, it is important to ensure adequate rules within the EU and internationally. The EU actively promotes the conservation and sustainable management of sharks as well as the ‘fins naturally attached’ policy in regional fisheries management organisations and in other relevant international forums.  The practice of shark finning is already banned in all regional fisheries management organisations. Some shark species need protection through a retention ban, whilst other species can still be fished sustainably through appropriate conservation and management measures, and those conservation and management measures may include a limitable total allowable catch  Since 2008, EU law, and namely the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, requires that shark populations in our waters are healthy and abundant and that human activities do not harm them. With the nature restoration law proposal, we continue our efforts by seeking the restoration of the habitats of shark and ray species.  The EU also works actively under two international conventions to protect sharks. Firstly, the EU is a signatory of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks, which concerns research, sustainable fishing, habitat protection and international cooperation. Secondly, the EU is an active member of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which among other things regulates trade in sharks and their products. So the EU promotes CITES protection for marine species and incorporates its decision in its own legal setup, including trade restrictions for relevant species.  Given this solid international framework, sharks caught by the EU fleet in compliance with both CITES and regional fisheries management organisations, rules are considered legitimate fish products. At EU level, since 2003, the so-called EU Shark Finning Regulation prohibits the removal of shark fins on board all vessels in the EU waters, as well as the retention on board, transhipment or landing of shark fins. In 2013, the regulation was amended to enforce the ‘fins naturally attached’ policy. So currently all sharks targeted by commercial fishing must be retained on board and must be landed with their fins naturally attached – and there are no derogations from this obligation. The fins can be removed only upon landing. This applies to EU fishing vessels wherever they operate, even beyond EU waters.  Honourable Members, this is a short outline of what we already doing, both within and outside the European Union, to protect sharks and to promote sustainable fishing. I have already had the privilege to meet twice with organisers of this citizens’ initiative – once during the dedicated meeting with the Commission, and a second time in the European Parliament hearing, Both encounters and discussions were a welcome opportunity to better understand the objectives of the initiatives and to discuss possible further actions to reinforce the EU policy on the protection of sharks. Against this background, the Commission is currently preparing the reply to the European citizens’ initiative ‘Stop finning, stop the trade’ which it will adopt by July 2023, in line with the provisions of the ECI Regulation.