Ocean Sentry
Foreign fishermen are continuing to hack the fins off sharks in South African waters and toss the animals back into the sea while they are alive.
Most of the butchered sharks drown, starve or are eaten by other predators because they are no longer able to swim or hunt.
“Finning” is illegal in South Africa, but Richards Bay and Mossel Bay anglers have produced photographs of at least two sharks that survived despite crippling wounds.
Millions of sharks are believed to die in this way each year because of the growing demand for shark fin soup, a delicacy at Chinese and other Far Eastern weddings and banquets.
“This barbaric practice is banned in South African waters and these photographs are evidence that it is still taking place, probably by illegal longliners.” … Read Full Article by Tony Carnie
