“This case demonstrates that hasty and poorly prepared actions cannot prevail in the face of issues as serious as public health and the protection of biodiversity,” declared Didier Dérand, president of the VAGUES association, after the administrative court of La Réunion rejected, on January 6, 2025, the request from the Elio Canestri association seeking to repeal the 2009 decree prohibiting the marketing of tiger and bulldog shark meat.
The court found that the applicant association had not demonstrated its interest in taking action, in particular because of the non-compliant modification of its statutes. This decision marks the end of a long legal battle, started in 2019, to try to lift this ban.
The VAGUES association welcomed this decision, emphasizing that it protects the balance of marine ecosystems, in particular by preserving migratory species of sharks. The court also supported the arguments of other intervening associations, such as Sea Shepherd and Le Taille-Vent, which highlighted the risks of contamination by ciguatoxins.
