#Stopfinseu

Europe’s shark fin trade

By the end of 2022, Europe verified and approved the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) petition “Stop Finning — Stop the Trade,” supported by over 1.1 million EU citizens and 100 NGO partners. After a year of boots-on-the-ground campaigning in Brussels, the coalition representatives started engagement with the EU Commission and Parliament to ban the trade of shark fins in Europe. In July 2023, the European Commission’s official response was issued, stating the need for enhanced enforcement of existing conservation measures, as well as stepping up international outreach to reduce shark fin consumption and end finning practices worldwide. Fast forward to the beginning of 2024 and the Commission launches an impact assessment on the environmental, social, and economic consequences of a European shark fin trade ban. The StopFinningEU Coalition and Shark Allies are confident that if this is conducted fairly, encompassing all relevant sectors and not just fishery interests, the impact assessment will prove that there is no alternative to a legally binding trade ban. It is now up to the Commission and Parliament to decide whether Europe remains part of the problem or becomes part of the solution.