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Online Petition
Signatures so far: 10688
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To the European Commission

By signing this letter we ask you to safeguard the survival of sharks and rays within European waters. We are deeply concerned about the failure of EU fishery managers to heed scientific studies that time and again emphasise the decline of sharks and rays due to over fishing.

Most shark species are slow to grow and produce few young. This makes their populations extremely vulnerable to fishing pressure. Many European populations have collapsed because of over fishing and will need decades to regain a healthy level.

It is still possible for European fishermen to fin sharks without being prosecuted. Finning is the practice whereby a shark's fins are sliced off on-board before the carcass is discarded. Officially, this practice has been illegal for European fishermen since 2003, however, current legislation contains many loopholes. What is needed is unambiguous legislation in which the protection of sharks is taken seriously.

We therefore ask for a European plan of action for sharks and rays. The United Nations called for a management plan for sharks in 1999, however, despite several commitments, none of the EU's member states have gone ahead and developed such a plan. We hope that the European Commission will take the lead in establishing a management plan for sharks.

Now is our chance to take action and prevent these valuable species from being lost forever.

Please sign below to show your support

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More information from the European Elasmobranch Association and its members
 

This petition is supported by the following organisations:
Shark Trust Shark Alliance Galapogos Conservation Trust
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The Shark Trust promotes the study, management and conservation of sharks, skates and rays. The Shark Trust is the UK member of the European Elasmobranch Association. As such, it collaborates with other national member bodies to achieve their aims in British, European and international waters. The Trust aims to join forces with other groups concerned with shark, skate and ray conservation issues. These include commercial fisherman, recreational sea anglers, divers, yachtsmen, and all those who want to ensure the future survival of these fascinating but threatened animals.