Brazilian company being sued for shark finning

Most Read DIVE News

A British diver has died while diving the wreck of the Zenobia in Cyprus. Catherine Vicar was diving with friends when she became lost inside the wreck.

All the winners from BUIF 2011

This year’s British Underwater Image Festival attracted hundreds of entries across all of the categories, showcasing the very best in underwater photography and filmmaking.

Business as normal in Red Sea resorts

Dive centres and travel operators report business as usual in resorts around the Egyptian Red Sea. Protests taking place in Cairo, Alexandria and other large cities have not affected divers and holidaymakers in Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada or other resorts.

Sharm sites closed after shark attacks

Dive sites have been closed for 24 hours around Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, after three shark attacks on snorkellers in the area. The attacks took place on local reefs north of Sharm – all three snorkellers have been hospitalised, and one is in a critical condition.

Ice diving course in the Alps

BSAC is running its ice diving skill development course in the Austrian Alps in January.

Diver dies on James Eagan Layne

A diver has died on the wreck of the James Eagan Layne in Whitsand Bay, Cornwall.

Threat to Maldives manta site

Video Exclusive. Large numbers of visitors to a manta ray aggregation site in the Maldives could drive away the animals, a marine biologist has warned.

Ras Mohammed under threat from fishing

Ras Mohammed National Park near Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, is under threat from fishing.

Underwater sculpture park opens

An underwater sculpture park of 400 statues made by British artist Jason de Caires Taylor is opening this month in Cancun, Mexico.

Report of Red Sea shark attack

A report of a shark attack in the Red Sea has been disputed by Egyptian authorities. A British couple holidaying in Sharm El Sheikh have reported seeing a tiger shark mauling the body of a woman close to the shore.

Petition to save British wrecks

Shark attack update: Two sharks killed in Egypt

Freediver sets cave world record

Brazilian company being sued for shark finning

Wednesday, 11 August 2010 00:00

An environmental group in Brazil is suing a company it says has illegally killed 290,000 sharks.

The Environmental Justice Institute says the sharks were finned by seafood exporters Siglo do Brasil Comercio to meet demand in Asia for shark fin soup.

Shark finning is illegal in Brazil and the environmental group is suing the company for £500m for the damage caused to the marine ecosystem.

‘As we can’t put a value on life, we have calculated the impact on the ecosystem,’ said Environmental Justice Institute’s director Cristiano Pachero.

‘This is an extremely serious situation and represents only a fraction of the sharks that are illegally killed off Brazil’s northeast coast. The massive and illegal fishing is doing irreversible harm to the ocean’s ecosystem, because sharks are at the top of the food chain.’

Brazil’s environment ministry raided the company’s premises in May and reported finding 3.3 tons of shark fins.

About Us - Sitemap - Terms & Conditions - Privacy Policy - Advertise