(Taken from Project AWARE newsletter dated Dec 3, 2011)

We have great shark news to share with you. Two important steps for sharks have been taken in the past week as a result of all your hard work, spreading the word, shouting for sharks and petition signing! 

On November 22nd, the European Commission announced the long awaited proposal for closing the loopholes in the European Union’s ban on shark finning. And the European Union has become a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Sharks.

These are important steps forward in Project AWARE’s work to protect threatened and vulnerable shark species. To learn more you can check out the full stories at:

Big Day in European Shark Conservation
Sharks Given a Fighting Chance as EU Inches Toward Closing Loopholes

European fishing fleets play a major role in shark fishing worldwide with a number of loopholes in legislation which have long threatened sharks not just in European waters but globally too. We’ve been battling this issue for the past few years and you’ve made your voice heard to help us get there. Thank you!

In 2012, we’ll be pushing EU Member States to agree to the proposal for a strong, loophole-free EU finning ban. And we’ll be pushing harder for our goal to protect vulnerable shark species from trade under the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) at the next CITES meeting in Thailand in 2013. There’s much to be done between now and then.

For now, thank you for supporting shark protection alongside Project AWARE.

Sincerely,
Project AWARE Team