NT Fishos Blamed For 'Shark Finning'

April 9, 2008

Release from: Matt Cunningham
Northern Territory News (Australia)

Territory fishermen are believed to be responsible for the cruel mutilation of a shark found in Darwin harbour.

A 1.5m reef shark with its fins cut off was caught by a fisherman on board an Equinox Fishing Charter on Monday.

Skipper Justin Halicek said the shark was caught at Bass Reef, just nine kilometres out of Darwin Harbour.

"We were out there fishing, just in the local reef, and one of the clients caught a shark,'' he said.

"Unfortunately, when we brought the shark up its fins had been chopped off.''

The practice of "finning'' -- where fishermen catch sharks and cut off their fins before throwing the carcasses back into the sea -- is common in Asia, where shark fin soup is a delicacy. Shark fin can fetch up to $100 a kilogram in Australia.

Mr Halicek said illegal Indonesian fishermen working in northern Australian waters had been known to practice "finning'', but it was unlikely this shark was a product of their trade.

"It's more likely it would have been people fishing from Darwin,'' he said.

"The illegal fishermen are way off the coast and there's no way the shark could have made it in that distance without its fins.''

The Equinox crew reported the incident to Fisheries officers after returning to shore.

NT Fisheries acting manager of aquatic resource management David McKey said it was the first case of "finning'' in the Darwin area he had been made aware of.

"It's abhorred by everyone,'' he said.

"We have banned it in all Australian domestic and commercial fisheries. It's just a shameful practice.''

People caught "finning'' face fines of up to $11,000 or 12 months jail under the animal cruelty act.