Shark finning in Costa Rica decimates world's sharks

[Judi Lynn]

Shark finning in Costa Rica decimates world's sharks
By Megan Hamilton
20 hours ago

Shark finning in Costa Rica decimates world's sharks Special

Puntarenas - In Costa Rica, pirates are alive and well, but instead of searching for gold, they are finding ways around legal loopholes and killing thousands of sharks. They are doing this so that people in China can impress guests with a bowl of shark fin soup.

Costa Rica laws make it illegal via the Fishery Law of 2005 to land sharks on boats unless their fins are attached. Taiwanese shark finners were vehemently opposed to the law and they tried every angle to get around it, said Randall Arauz, president of the Costa Rica Sea Turtle and Shark Restoration Project (PRETOMA). This reporter has known Arauz for some time, and he and other members of the project work tirelessly to protect sharks and sea turtles.
“Taiwanese shark finners have been figuring out ways to circumvent shark finning laws since 2001," Arauz told Digital Journal. "They were strongly opposed to Costa Rica's 'fins attached' system that mandates that in Costa Rica, sharks must be landed with fins attached."

The finners operated in cruel and intimidating ways — and found a sneaky way around the law through the process of “spining.” This involves leaving the fins attached to the spine by thin strips of flesh, while the rest of the flesh is carved away, per Vice News.

While former President Laura Chinchilla banned shark finning in 2012, per The Tico Times, the unscrupulous finners had already built private docks that were protected by barbed wire and armed guards. Here, the docks had operated as criminal compounds for this illicit trade for years, Vice News reports.

More:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/environment/shark-finning-in-costa-rica-decimates-world-s-sharks/article/387232#ixzz39lPT9uVe

[lonestarnot]

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