MoEF approves policy to prohibit removal of shark fins

In a bid to stop trade of shark parts, the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has approved a policy which will prohibit removal of their fins for use in exotic soups.
According to the policy, approved by Environment and Forest Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, any possession of shark fins which is not naturally attached to the body of the shark, would amount to "hunting" of a Schedule I species.
The policy has been approved to stop the inhuman hunting of sharks and to enable the enforcement agencies to monitor the illegal hunting and poaching of the species of Elasmobranchs listed in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

The policy calls for concerted action and implementation by the state governments concerned through appropriate legislative, enforcement and other measures, an MoEF statement said.
Due to the flourishing shark fin-soup industry, fins of the sharks captured in the mid sea are removed on the vessel by poachers and the de-finned sharks are thrown back in the sea to die a painful death.
This practice leads to difficulties in enforcement of provisions of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

Identifying the species of sharks from the fins alone becomes difficult without the corresponding carcass from which the fins have been detached.
India is home to about 40-60 species of sharks. However, the population of some of these have declined over the years due to several reasons including over-exploitation and unsustainable fishing practices.

Because of these, 10 species have been listed in the Schedule-I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.