Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, a former university professor of environmental economics, has seen his honeymoon with green groups suffer since he decided last month to loosen a ban on shark-fin sales. Under Correa’s July 20 decision, fishermen who happen to catch sharks while pursuing other species will be allowed to sell fins from this “incidental” catch. Environmental groups complain the measure invites abuses, and news reports from various Ecuadorian ports suggest shark landings are on the rise. Ecuadorian advocacy groups are pressing Correa to reverse course, pointing out that the lucrative shark-fin trade has contributed to a rapid decline in shark populations worldwide. In Guayaquil, critics have expressed their opposition by painting images of sharks on city streets. In Quito, graffiti has appeared... [Log in to read more]