Kategorie: News
New species protection regulation
Sharks are an indispensable part of a functioning marine ecosystem on which over a billion people worldwide are directly dependent. However, more than three quarters of all shark species are acutely endangered and threatened with extinction due to overfishing of the world's oceans and their special hunting for the predominantly Asian catering industry, for cosmetics production, for sexual enhancers and the like. In the past 50 years alone, their global population has declined by over 70 per cent.
"If sharks die, humans die too!"
For years, species and marine conservation organisations such as Sharkproject International (www.sharkproject.org) have been pointing out the urgent need for action by politicians and businesses. Surprisingly for many, this also directly affects landlocked countries such as Austria. Even in this country, shark products such as shark curls, shark steaks and shark fin soup are still widely available in the food trade and catering industry. Austria even ranks fifth in Europe for shark meat imports. Shark components are also regularly discovered in cosmetics, food supplements and sexual enhancers, often without correct labelling and consumer information.
Sharkproject informs politicians about Austria's role in the international shark trade
Sharkproject's experts addressed this issue directly to the Austrian parliamentary parties in 2022 and pleaded for increased species protection measures and a ban on the import of shark products in Austria. On 14 December 2022, this led to a joint motion for a resolution tabled by members of all parliamentary parties, which was coordinated by National Council member Lukas Hammer, Chairman of the Environment Committee and climate spokesperson for the Greens.
With this unanimously adopted resolution, the Austrian parliament called on the federal government to implement an import ban on shark products. After intensive examination by the competent authorities, this was implemented with the Species Trade Supplementary Ordinance (Federal Law Gazette II No. 107/2024) published on 18 April 2024 and the trade and import restrictions defined therein:
- New Species Protection Ordinance of the Federal Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation in force. (107th Ordinance, 18 April 2024, https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/eli/bgbl/II/2024/107)
- The import, trade and processing of sharks and shark products is now only possible in Austria in exceptional cases with an explicit import licence.
- This means the end of questionable cosmetics, sexual enhancers, shark fin soup and shark steaks in Austria.
- The species conservation organisation Sharkproject International sees the Austrian regulation as a significant contribution to the worldwide protection of species and a major success of its decades of education and information work.
- Gabriela Futterknecht, Project Manager, Sharkproject Austria: "With the de facto ban on imports, processing and trade, Austria is taking on an international pioneering role in marine and shark conservation. We would like to thank Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler and hope that other European countries will take this as an example and quickly follow suit. Only through international measures can sharks be protected from extinction. In addition to fishing restrictions, trade restrictions in landlocked countries are also an important step in this direction."
Sharks are now just as strictly protected in Austria as other species that are particularly threatened with extinction. Not only the import and processing of shark meat, but also the import of shark bites and similar holiday souvenirs is now a punishable offence. Offences against species protection regulations can be punished with fines of up to 40,000 euros and prison sentences of up to two years.
Import ban in Austria an important step for international shark protection
The shark species explicitly mentioned in the regulation and therefore affected by the import and trade restrictions in Austria include the requiem shark family. This includes reef sharks, blue sharks and bull sharks. The mako shark is now also specially protected. Its fins are extremely popular in Asian cuisine. Likewise, no products from whale sharks or great white sharks may be imported or processed. Exceptions are only possible in special cases and require individual import licences from the authorities.
Gabriela Futterknecht, Project Manager, Sharkproject Austria, concludes: "Sharkproject would like to thank Climate and Environmental Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler, those who tabled the motion for a resolution in Parliament and, in particular, National Councillor Lukas Hammer, Chairman of the Environment Committee, for their active commitment to shark protection. We know that politics can sometimes be a proverbial shark tank. That is why it is all the more important that all parties represented in the National Council have pulled together to protect sharks. Austria is thus taking on a role model in international shark protection."
About Sharkproject
Sharkproject is a species conservation organisation founded in 2002 that campaigns for over 500 shark species and the marine ecosystem and strives for intact shark populations worldwide. Sharkproject is committed to national and international conservation measures, promotes scientific projects and educates people about the importance of sharks and the marine habitat. All employees work on a voluntary basis. All donations go directly to shark conservation projects and the associated education and information work.
Further information can be found at www.sharkproject.org