Latin America has unimaginable marine biodiversity in its neighboring oceans, nonetheless, commercial illegal fishing has been a threat to the marine ecosystems and endemic species in the sanctuaries located both in the Caribbean and the pacific ocean. Maintaining the sanctuaries safe and keeping sovereignty represents a lot of effort for developing countries and therefore misleading regulation has allowed the looting of endangered species. Colombia has taken a step forward on the debate of the ban on shark and ray fishing to impose clear regulations for the protection of endangered species.
Please check out this article to know more about the Illegal fishing in Latin American Sanctuaries
According to Caracol Radio, The Fifth Committee of the House of Representatives unanimously approved Bill 083, which seeks to prohibit and penalize in the country the fishing of rays and sharks, as well as the commercialization of the fins of these marine endangered species.
The representative of the Green Party, Fabian Diaz, author of the initiative, said: “With this decision, we will put an end to the indiscriminate killing of these species. We will manage to promote and execute actions to prevent fishing and also develop research and conservation actions of these species”.
In addition, he explained that with this initiative “a sanctioning regime would be created for those who incur in the fishing, transport, transshipment, and unloading of sharks and rays for commercial purposes. Likewise, a mechanism of national and international cooperation is established, for the study and conservation of these animals”.
Now the project must be discussed, in its second debate, in the Plenary of the House of Representatives. If it is approved, it will remain in the hands of the Senate of the Republic, where, if it passes the two final debates, it will go on to be sanctioned by President Ivan Duque.
