Costa Rica Pages
August 5, 2008

New Shark Finning Law Would Not Protect Diminishing Shark Populations.

Finning in Costa Rica may finally become illegal. Unfortunately, the proposed Shark Finning Prohibition Law states that the whole shark must be killed and used instead of cutting off the fins and throwing the animal back in the water where it is left to agonize and die anyway. If this law passes, whoever is caught unloading sharks fins without the rest of the carcass, as well as anyone else who or permits or authorizes the activity, is liable to get a prison sentence from 6 months to 3 years. The law will also force the immediate closure of any locales that take part in the unloading of shark fins.

Ofelia Taitelbaum, a legislator from the National Liberation Party (PLN), said that this new law was the result of 8 months of studies by scientific organizations and academies who deal with this subject. It would seem then that maybe 8 months were not sufficient in this case. This announcement is obviously meant to be welcomed with applause, when it only produces more outrage and disgust. While it is obviously much more humane to kill the sharks immediately, the whole point is missed, as it is a well known fact today that the sharks are in danger of extinction, with international shark populations having decreased by 90 percent. So, why is this massacre allowed to go on?

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