Environmental groups here are applauding the Mexican government’s approval of a new regulation that bans driftnet fishing and clamps down on the lucrative but environmentally destructive shark-fin trade. The regulation, which is known as the shark norm but contains provisions that could benefit other marine species, takes effect in three months. One of its principal requirements is that fishermen bring their sharks to port intact. The provision is intended to prevent them from cutting sharks’ fins off at sea and dumping the carcasses into the ocean. Fishing crews do this to free up as much space in the hold as possible for the fins, which can fetch $250 a pound in some Asian countries. Experts say the practice allows large numbers of sharks to... [Log in to read more]