Petition dismissed on exporting shark fins

Chennai: The Madras high court has dismissed a petition challenging Central government notification which prohibited the export of shark fins of all species of shark. In the writ petition, M/s Marine Products Exporters Association, represented by its vice president S.J. Ramnath, has challenged the notification dated 6. 2. 2015 issued by the Director General of Foreign Trade, banning the export of shark fins of all species of shark.

The association stated that the country has a long coastal line of about 7,500 km. Though shark meat is  consumed by a very small percentage of Indians, sharkfins are used extensively by the Chinese as they consider that it has some medicinal properties. China imports  shark fins from various countries. According to an estimate, India has been exporting shark fins worth Rs 3,439.37 lakh in 2012-13. It shot up to Rs 3,857.20 lakh in 2013-14.

Of 480 species of shark, only 18 species were protected by an International Convention to which 180 countries including India are signatories. S. Murugappan, counsel for the petitioner contended that notification issued under the Foreign Trade Policy was contrary to law, the notification was made without any basis or factual details justifying the ban.  

In his reply the Deputy Director General of Foreign Trade  stated that Section 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992, confers power upon the Central government to formulate and announce the Foreign Trade Policy and also to amend the policy from time to time.