FINSPIRE CHANGE UK
Campaign Mission: Ban the trade of shark fins in the UK
Campaign Started: April 2020 (UK parliament petition)
Petition status: Ended with over 115,000 signatures
Campaign status 2023: WE DID IT!
June 2023
The U.K has officially enacted a law to ban the trade of detached shark fins following the successful campaign 'Finspire Change UK' led by Shark Guardian
Finspire Change UK Campaign Publications:
Scubaverse: Call for the UK Government to ban the importation of shark fin
Katy Jane Dives: Our mission to ban shark fin in the UK
Scuba Diving: Petition Seeks to Ban Shark Fin Imports in the United Kingdom
Diver Net: TIME RUNS SHORT TO SIGN SHARK PETITION
SharkNewz: THE UK CAN NOW ACT AND BAN THE IMPORT OF SHARK FINS- SIGN THE PETITION NOW!
METRO: Uk could become first country in Europe to ban shark fin trade after Brexit
Why is there a campaign to ban shark fin in the UK?
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Before our campaign, it was legal to bring 20kg of dried shark fin into the UK according to the 'fish and fish product' allowances set by UK Border Force without declaration.
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20kg of dried shark fin potentially equates to hundreds of sharks butchered dependent on size.
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Many of these fins could belong to threatened shark species listed under CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species). These would make their way into the UK illegally through the loophole identified in the import system.
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It is required that imported items over the value of £390 be declared to UK Border Force. 20kg of shark fins can have a value of over £4,000. This identified a huge tax evasion opportunity.