EU bans practice of chopping off shark fins

The European Commission on Monday (21 November) announced a full ban on "shark finning" - the practice in which fishermen cut off the dorsal fin of a shark and throw it back into the water, often while it is still alive.

"We want to eradicate the horrendous practice of shark finning and protect sharks better," said EU fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki in a statement.

Shark fin is a prized ingredient for soup in China and growth in the country's middle-class has sent global de...