July 24, 2007 — President Rafael Correa's decree legalizing the sale of shark fins caught by accidental fishing has put the Galapagos shark in peril of extinction, environmentalist groups warned Monday in Ecuador.
Prized as an aphrodisiac and gourmet delicacy in Asia, shark fins had been illegally harvested until Correa's decree, which he said will directly benefit 200,000 Ecuadoran fishermen and their families.
The presidential decree lifts a ban on the sale and export of shark fins caught accidentally outside Galapagos territorial waters. Deliberate fishing for shark fins is still prohibited.
"In theory, any type of fishing is banned in Galapagos, but it's difficult to monitor which species are caught and now, the decree could lead to more illegal fishing in the area," Ecological Action project coordinator Ricardo Buitron said.
He said the measure will likely entice fishermen to Galapagos for shark fins they would sell elsewhere in Ecuador claiming they were caught accidentally outside the archipelago's restricted waters.
