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Bloody Waters - The Predatory Trade in Sharks

December 6, 2024

Europe is the largest exporter of shark meat and fins - in an industry worth several billion euros per year.

https://p.dw.com/p/4npev
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Image: ZDF

Fishing crews in the EU earn around €12 per kilogram of shark fin. But in Asia, where shark fin soup is a delicacy, prices for customers can reach €1,500.

A bowl of shark's fin soup costs between €100 and €150 in Asia.
Image: ZDF

In Europe, the biggest trade in sharks is done by companies in Vigo, on Spain's Atlantic coast. The tons of shark meat found on sale there by marine biologist Lukas Müller are mainly from young animals not yet old enough to have reproduced. Meanwhile, the Stop Finning campaign has collected over one million petition signatures, and is forcing the European Commission to address the issue. Activists want an EU-wide ban on the shark fin trade. But for many people in Vigo, fishing is their livelihood. 

Marine biologist Lukas Müller
Image: ZDF

This film exposes Europe's shark trade and the effects it has on marine ecosystems. Can a balance be found between economic interests and the protection of our natural world?
 

 

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