A marine conservation group is trying to raise awareness of the risk many shark species face due to the rapid expansion in shark fin fishing.
There are concerns that many are being killed solely for their fins, with the rest either dumped or used for low value products like fertiliser.
Shark fishermen are confident they have proved the industry is sustainable, after being required to demonstrate that more than just the fins would be used for human consumption.
But Adele Pedder from the Australian Marine Conservation Society says she remains concerned about the impact the industry has on shark populations.
“I’m not sure if they’ve yet proven they can use all of the shark, but they are looking at expanding their market because one of their criticisms was that they’re only utilising less than 2 per cent of the shark,” she said.
“That’s an ethical concern that we need to look at, but using the whole shark doesn’t actually mean that we’re going to take less out of the ocean.”
Source: ABC
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