Brussels, 06/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 5 October, Spain sets itself apart from the others and received the congratulations of environmental organisation Oceana. A decision by the Spanish government, which will come into effect from 1 January 2010, will mean that Spanish fishermen will not be allowed to catch hammerhead sharks (genera Sphyrna and Eusphyra) and thresher sharks (genus Alopias). Further, the Spanish fleet will not be allowed to tranship, land or market these vulnerable species.
Spain is the first EU country to adopt this measure, which is applauded by Oceana. “We congratulate the Ministry for this measure, which represents a first step for Spain to regulate its shark fisheries,” Oceana says in a press release, stating that the new law will save the lives of nearly 15,000 individuals every year (the number of hammerhead and thresher sharks Spanish vessels catch annually). The ban will apply to the whole of the Spanish fleet, no matter the waters in which vessels are fishing, and including the jurisdictional waters of third countries. Oceana hopes that other counties will follow Spain's example. (L.C./transl.rt)