Madrid and Rome confronted because of mercury in sharks
Weekly Italy destroys Spanish exports of sharks by detecting abnormal levels of mercury. The Government of Madrid questions the analyzes carried out.
The presence of mercury in several species of sharks has opened a commercial and public health skirmish between Spain and Italy. Last year, the latter withdraw from the market and destroyed 50 batches of sharks -almost one per week- due to the detection of mercury levels above the legal maximum set by the EU.
However, a report by the Spanish Government questions the analyzes made by the Italian authorities and considers that they are causing unjustified millionaire loses to the national sector.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Spanish fleet captures about a quarter of world's sharks catches. While Italy is one of their largest consumers, importing every year from Spain around 15,000 tons, valued at more than 120 million euro.
Figures from RASFF illustrates the magnitude of this litigation. If, in the last decade, all the fish trade among the 28 members states motivated 459 alerts for the presence of mercury, only those launched by Italy by Spanish swordfish and other shark species represented two third of the total (295 alerts).
At the moment, the efforts of the Spanish Government do not seem to have had any effect. Although the report was prepared in 2015 and sent to Brussels' authorities, the alerts have continued until reaching its highest level in a decade last year, with 50.
Source: El País