1 week ago, the European Parliament met in Plenary debate in Strasbourg to debate the European Citizens Initiative, "Stop Finning - Stop the Trade." Thank you to Paula Andrés at Euractive for the debate coverage, found below.

"'The problem is not the act of finning alone, it is the legality of the loose shark fin trade,' said Stefanie Brendl, Brussels representative for the ECI. 'Just like the ivory trade, it is the product that is driving the overfishing” and “hindering global shark conservation goals.' ...Import numbers in Asia are decreasing 'except for the EU fleets, which have increased.' The EU currently makes up for 45% of fins exported to Asian markets. According to the ECI organizers, Spain has the largest market for shark meat and is the leading nation for shark fishing in Europe. In 2016, Spain caught almost 40 tones of blue shark in the North Atlantic, South Atlantic and Mediterranean – very far from the nearest competitor, Portugal, with slightly over 13 tonnes."

Stay tuned here for real-time action alerts, updates and ways to get involved with Europe's #FinBanNow. An official response delivered by the European Commission to the ECI is expected by July.