Total shark finning ban in New Zealand waters proposed for this year

A complete ban on shark finning - - catching sharks solely for their fins -- in New Zealand waters could be brought forward by two years, the New Zealand government announced Thursday. The total ban was originally set for October 2016, but Conservation Minister Nick Smith and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy on Thursday issued a proposal to ban all shark finning from Oct. 1 this year. "This is good news and builds on New Zealand's strong reputation for sustainability and protecting our natural environment," Smith said in a statement. "Sharks are an important part of the marine ecosystem and we need to ensure the 113 species of shark in our waters survive." The government announced in January the first tranche of shark species would be covered by ban from October this year, a second tranche from Oct. 1 next year, and only the highly migratory blue sharks would be left until Oct. 1, 2016. Consultations on the new proposal with "stakeholders" would be held from May 22 to June 22, Guy said in the statement. "Ending shark finning was always going to present practical challenges for the fishing industry, and there was a need to give them time to adjust," said Guy. The New Zealand Shark Alliance of conservation groups welcomed the proposal, but called for the policy to be based on international best practice to ensure fishers complied with the ban. "The sooner we can end shark finning the better, but it needs to be a ban that actually works and stops this abhorrent practice, " alliance spokesperson Milena Palka said in a statement. "Any ban will only be effective if it is based on a fin naturally attached policy. This is the best way to ensure that sharks aren't killed just for their fins as it requires sharks to be brought back to shore in one piece," said Palka. Shark fins are valuable for making shark fin soup, which is a delicacy in Asia, and for the production of many traditional Asian medicines. Globally 30 percent of shark species are threatened or near threatened with extinction. Sharks are vulnerable because they grow slowly, mature late and have few young over their lifetimes.