Good news for basking sharks living off the coast of Ireland… The Irish state has just decreed that this species of shark is now a protected species under the Wildlife Act.
When such a status is granted to an animal, hunting it becomes an offence punishable by imprisonment. It is therefore now forbidden to attempt to catch them, to deliberately injure them, or to hinder or destroy the animal’s breeding or resting places.
Excellent news, given that the basking shark is threatened with extinction on a massive scale…
It’s now official: the basking shark has finally become a protected species in Ireland. The decision is based on section 23(3) of the 1976 Wildlife Act, which allows new animals to be added to the country’s list of protected species.
This decree was signed with the agreement and co-signature of the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Marine Affairs. It now makes it possible to severely punish any act of hunting or cruelty towards this animal.
As a reminder, the basking shark is in a particularly worrying situation… This species is currently threatened with extinction worldwide. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the basking shark is “critically endangered” as of 2019.
Irish waters are a particularly popular territory for this species. It’s even estimated that this is where you’ll find the highest concentration of basking sharks in the world!
Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan said:
We live in a time of mass extinction. We all have an urgent responsibility to do everything in our power to reverse this trend. By strengthening basking shark protections, Ireland will play its part in providing better protection for an endangered species that depends on our territorial waters to survive and thrive.
“This measure is a first step towards additional protections for vulnerable species in Ireland. My department is working to further strengthen our wildlife laws to ensure the protection and restoration of natural habitats and provide a better balance of safeguards for marine and terrestrial wildlife.
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