In response to 45,000 submissions and politcal pressure the Government has agreed to ban shark finning in New Zealand waters. There will be a staged introduction of the ban covering different species of shark. A total ban on shark finning in NZ waters will apply from October 2016. While not a total, immediate ban on shark finning, it seems a pragmatic solution to a difficult issue that affects many of the 113 species of shark in NZ waters. Nice one Ministers Nathan Guy and Nick Smith.