World's Largest Tuna Conservation Coalition Bans Shark Finning

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), the world’s largest tuna conservation coalition, recently passed a comprehensive resolution that will prohibit its members from supporting the shark finning industry.

On Tuesday, the ISSF Board of Directors passed a resolution that will require its members to adopt written policies that prohibit the practice of shark finning and refrain from transactions with fishing vessels that engage in the practice.

Shark finning is a controversial practice whereby sharks are separated from their fins while still alive and then tossed back into the sea to die. Harvesting the fins, which are a delicacy in Asian cultures, is directly responsible for 73 million shark deaths every year.

The resolution, which will go into effect on June 1, 2012, is intended to urge ISSF members to strengthen their management of sharks caught in association with tuna fisheries by prohibiting shark finning and adopting the mandatory reporting of shark catches by species.

And by September 2012, processors, traders, importers, transporters and others involved in the seafood industry will be required to refrain from transactions with vessels that carry out shark finning or with vessel owning companies that do not have a public policy prohibiting shark finning.

“There is no room for shark finning in a sustainable tuna fishery,” said Susan Jackson, President of ISSF. “We’re calling on the tuna industry as a whole to prohibit this practice while we work with RFMO member nations to strengthen management and enforcement measures and for national governments to follow through with implementation.”

The ISSF’s resolution helps to reinforce the U.S. states and other nations that have already taken a stand against shark finning. In October 2011, the state of California joined Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Toronto and Guam by enacting a law against the sale, possession or distribution of shark fins.

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Debbie C.

2:36AM PST on Feb 26, 2012

OMG. I did not know they removed the sharks fins and then threw them back in the sea to die. I thought they killed them and then removed the fins. That is just cold hearted!!!

I signed the petition to boycott Tuna.

send a green star

Isabelle J.

10:39AM PST on Feb 5, 2012

Great!

Zana Z.

7:42AM PST on Feb 5, 2012

thanks for the update.

Linda J.

3:24PM PST on Feb 4, 2012

If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.

Charlie P.

11:51AM PST on Feb 4, 2012

YES!!! Happy news!!!! Thanks!!

Jordan A.

7:52AM PST on Feb 4, 2012

Good news! :DD

Lyn B.

7:18AM PST on Feb 4, 2012

I hope we can find a way to shame the ones we can't educate.
This item needs to be pulled from ALL restaurant menus.
Until a few months ago, I had no idea that they just snatched the fins off of sharks! Even ignoring the level of cruelty, there is absolutely no justification for not eating and using the rest of the shark!
Glad to hear that some in the industry are stepping up.

Karen B.

3:41AM PST on Feb 4, 2012

73 million i am appalled at this horrific number. shame on the asians for letting this happen,what a cruel thing to do!!!! what a way to die....

Pieter D.

3:31AM PST on Feb 4, 2012

This is great! We should start to do this on a global scale! Shark finning is really inhumane!

Mark C.

10:51PM PST on Feb 3, 2012

if you've ever seen an image of a finless shark gasping on the sea bed, you will never forget it.