By
Mark Kinver Environment reporter, BBC News
Loopholes
in current EU measures were not offering enough protection to sharks, said
campaigners
MEPs
have voted to close loopholes that allowed some EU fishing vessels to continue
"shark finning".
Although
the EU banned removing shark fins at sea and discarding the body, special
permits allowed finning to continue legally.
Conservation
groups, which said finning was threatening shark numbers, welcomed the European
Parliament's decision.
The
decision to back the European Commission's plans means the details will now be
considered by EU ministers.
The
resolution was adopted with 566 votes in favour, 47 against and 16 abstentions.
"Parliament's
vote represents a major milestone in the global effort to end the wasteful
practice," said Sandrine Polti, EU shark policy adviser for the Pew
Environmental Group and the Shark Alliance.
"[We
have] been working towards this and other fundamental reforms in European shark
policies for more than six years and are thrilled with today's vote and the
progress we expect to stem from it."
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