Hundreds of sharks have been slaughtered daily off the coast of
Ecuador since a ban on the sale of fins was lifted last week,
prompting warnings of ecological disaster. Fishing boats have
returned to shore laden with fins of dozens of species,
including several that are threatened with extinction, which are
vital to maintaining biodiversity, according to critics. The
spectacle of fins piled up on piers has triggered a political
row, pitting the government and fishermen against the rest of
the country. Most of the fins are exported to Asia, where they
end up in soup bowls. "It is a big mistake. More than 400 sharks
are being caught every day? that damages the whole [food]
chain," said Esperanza Martinez, of the advocacy group
Ecological Action. Others say up to 1,000 are being caught.
Shark fishing remains illegal but Ecuadoran President Rafael
Correa legalized the sale of fins of sharks caught accidentally,
saying the revenue would help impoverished fishermen to feed
their families. However, with no clear way