Ocean Sentry
(From voxy.co.nz)- A total of 83 per cent of New Zealanders surveyed support a ban on shark finning, according to a Colmar Brunton poll for Forest & Bird. Forest & Bird is calling for an end to shark finning because it is contributing to the decline of shark species worldwide. The practice is illegal in many countries but it is still allowed in New Zealand waters.More than 600 individual New Zealanders have signed the online pledge in the first week.
About 112 species of sharks have been recorded in New Zealand waters. Of these, 28 are listed on the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List of species threatened with extinction. Only one threatened species – the great white shark – is protected in New Zealand.
Several countries, including Australia, USA, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia, Nicaragua, Palau, Spain, Oman and the EU, have banned shark finning.
