Strengthen legal protections for sharks, say campaigners

Wildlife campaigners have called for better legal protections for sharks after the skipper of a Spanish-registered vessel was charged as part of an investigation into alleged shark finning in Irish waters.

Shark finning involves the removal of the fins from a shark, often while the fish is alive. The sharks are sometimes thrown back into the ocean where, unable to swim effectively, they suffocate or are eaten by other predators.