Marine Life & Conservation
King Charles set to ban import and export of shark fins
King Charles is set to give his Royal Assent to a new law banning the import and export of shark fins later this year, ending the UK’s dark and secret participation in the controversial, billion-dollar, global shark fin trade.
Every year, on average, the UK exports around 20 tonnes of shark fins – typically harvested from blue sharks – for processing by Spain and onward shipment to the Far East for use as the title ingredient in shark fin soup.
UK shark fin imports, on the other hand, have been a lot harder to track since a loophole in European law permits anyone entering the UK to bring 20kg of dried shark fins through Customs without question, as part of their personal import allowance.
Now, with the monarch’s signature, this is set to end.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “A UK ban on the import and export of shark fins represents a world leading victory for shark conservation, a major blow to the shark fin industry, and a new hope to countries seeking a similar ban across Europe and the rest of the globe.”
Since it launched its NO FIN TO DECLARE campaign in 2015, the charity has been at the forefront of efforts to cease the movement of shark fins. In that time it It has tirelessly campaigned to encourage public and political support, it has navigated Brexit for new opportunities, it has counselled goverment and endured broken political promises (Animal Welfare Bill 2021), only to find an ally in a back bench Labour MP who put forward a private members’ bill just 12 months ago.
In the last year, Christina Rees MP for Neath and Port Talbot, supported by Bite-Back, successfully guided her Shark Fins Bill unchallenged through the Houses of Parliament and on to Baroness Jones of Whitchurch in the House of Lords, where the bill was unilaterally supported and passed on Friday 16 June 2023 for Royal Assent into law.
Significantly, fewer than four private members’ bills a year make it to the palace.
TV presenter, wildlife expert and patron of Bite-Back, Steve Backshall MBE, said: “This news is an incredible result for sharks and the oceans. Around the world sharks are being slaughtered in their millions just for their valuable fins and populations can’t recover. Without breakthroughs like this we could lose some sharks forever. I can only hope that this outcome prompts more countries to follow the UK’s lead and, together, we can give sharks the break they so desperately need.”
King Charles is due to sign the Shark Fins Bill into law later this year.
More from Bite-Back at www.bite-back.com
Marine Life & Conservation
Reef-World launch new toolkit in response to the current global coral bleaching event
The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – has launched a new coral bleaching toolkit in response to the 4th global coral bleaching event confirmed by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) in April 2024.
The Green Fins Global Coral Bleaching Response Toolkit provides guidance to the marine tourism industry on how they can help manage and monitor the impacts of coral bleaching and get involved in recovery efforts. It features information about coral bleaching, including the causes, impacts and response strategies. The toolkit is compiled from a variety of readily available resources from multiple organizations and initiatives, such as ICRI, Coral Reef Alliance, Reef Check and NOAA, along with Green Fins materials, to ensure it is accessible to everyone. These resources cover methods for reducing local impacts, monitoring the reefs and engaging tourists and local communities.
The El Niño phenomenon has been present since February 2023, which has led to persistently warmer temperatures being experienced around the world and has affected the sea surface temperatures. Coral bleaching has been recorded in all ocean regions ever since. While this event is widespread and serious, there is still hope as bleached corals are not dead corals. Corals can survive bleaching events and thrive if they are given the time to adapt to the changing climate.
“Coral reefs are under a huge amount of stress every day and that reduces their chance of recovery from bleaching events,” said Chloe Harvey, Executive Director at The Reef-World Foundation. “However, this time around the scientists have been watching the data closely, so we’re prepared. We understand what it means and we know what we need to do to respond to it. This global event calls for global action to protect these vital ecosystems for generations to come.”
By equipping the industry with the necessary knowledge and tools, Reef-World hopes to empower these key stakeholders to play a crucial role in preserving the health and resilience of our precious coral reef ecosystems. Reef-World believes that with the right resources, the marine tourism industry can be a driving force in the fight against coral bleaching and contribute significantly to the long-term sustainability of marine environments.
With this momentum, other key players in the industry, such as PADI AWARE Foundation and NOAA, have gotten on board the campaign for more citizen scientists to help out in monitoring coral bleaching. With the toolkit available to all, The Reef-World Foundation is looking forward to more collaborative actions in the industry.
Explore the toolkit on Green Fins’ website: greenfins.net/coral-bleaching
A real solution for an environmental catastrophe is in reach
Six years after setting sail for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), we have developed the cleanup technology to relegate the patch to the history books.
On 6 September 2024, The Ocean Cleanup will return to San Francisco, where founder and CEO Boyan Slat will provide an update in which he will announce what is needed in terms of time, money and efforts to eradicate the GPGP.
To confirm your presence, please RSVP to press@theoceancleanup.com
PROGRAM
- Press conference: CEO and founder Boyan Slat will announce the next phase of the cleanup of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
- Interviews: opportunities to interview Boyan Slat (CEO & founder), Joël Jansen (Director of Oceans), Arjen Tjallema (Director of Technology) and Matthias Egger (Director of Environmental and Social Affairs)
- Vessels & technology: visit our two iconic ships, take a look at extraction System 03 and see the extracted plastic up-close and personal*
*Limited availability; RSVP soon to press@theoceancleanup.com
PRACTICALITIES
Date: September 6, 2024
Press conference: 12 pm (noon) / doors open 11.30 am
Location: The Exploratorium (Google Maps)
Pier 15 (Embarcadero at Green Street), San Francisco, CA
Parking: Visit The Exploratorium’s website for details
RSVP: press@theoceancleanup.com
Press kit: a press kit will be shared afterwards
To find out more about the Ocean Cleanup, visit www.theoceancleanup.com.
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