Fisheries Ministers adopted a general approach in which they states its position on the controversial of "shark finning". According to this general approach, the Council is in line of the Commission's proposal to suppress the derogation that would mean sharks can only be landed with their fins attached. The Council now awaits the position of the European Parliament, before it will formalise its position.

The Council is against the removal of fins of sharks on board vessels. This is the general approach adopted by the Council with regard to the European Commission's proposal of November 2011 aimed at suppressing a derogation concerning the "shark finning". This practice means that fins are removed from sharks, with the remainder of the shark being discarded at sea. It has been forbidden on EU fishing vessels since 2003, but a derogation still persists allowing with special fishing permits the processing on board, whereby shark fins can be removed from the carcasses (landing of fins and the remainder of the shark together or separately).

Now, the Council supports to suppress this derogation which would mean sharks can only be landed with their fins attached. While the "shark finning" practice is forbidden in EU waters and on EU vessels, the still possible processing on board has cast doubts about the effectiveness of controls - which relies on carcase-to-fin weight ratios - and impedes the improvement of landing statistics, the latter being necessary to allow for science-based management of shark species.

In recent years, some shark populations have been severely targeted and put under serious threat as a result of a dramatic increase in demand for shark products, fins in particular. Sharks, skates and rays are generally very vulnerable to overexploitation due to their lifecycle characteristics of slow growth, late maturity and small number of young.