Written by:
Hans Kruit
The New Zealands Government wants to eliminate shark finning within two years.
Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Nick Smith want to ban the practice of catching a shark, killing and slicing off its fins and tossing back the carcass.
It is already illegal to fin a shark and throw it back live.
Fins are valuable in Asia where they are sought after for the delicacy shark fin soup and traditional medicines.
The ban would begin in some fisheries next October, with all areas covered by 2016.
"Sharks may not be as cuddly as kiwi or as cute as dolphins but they are an important part of New Zealand's marine biodiversity,`` Smith said.
"Our attitude to sharks has come a long way since the Jaws days of the only good shark being a dead shark."
There are 113 species of shark in New Zealand waters with seven already protected, including great whites and basking sharks.
A National Action plan for sharks was launched today at Island Bay, Wellington, with the public invited to have their say. Submissions on the document close on December 8.
Almost 100 countries have banned the practice, but up to 100m sharks are slaughtered every year.
The United Nations recommends a `fins naturally attached policy` which would require vessels to keep the whole shark.
In June, the European Union closed a legal loophole and adopted a regulation requiring all sharks be brought to port with their fins attached.
In New Zealand's Southern Bluefin Tuna fishery, more sharks than tuna were caught as by-catch. These sharks were often finned and discarded.
Would you like to read more blog posts? Go to the page Latest News.