The Scottish government is promising to implement a ban “within weeks” following a campaign by wildlife groups. It is also lobbying the European Commission to close loopholes which have allowed thousands of tonnes of shark fins to be landed, while the rest of the creatures’ bodies are dumped back into the sea.

“I have no doubt the Scottish public will abhor this cruel and wasteful activity and will welcome Scotland’s leadership,” said environment minister Richard Lochhead.

“Some shark populations are close to extinction, so I am delighted that Scotland is bringing an end to such a barbaric practice. As one of Europe’s most important fishing nations, we have a duty to show we are serious about protecting the sustainability of our seas.”

The minister has written to the fisheries commissioner in Brussels, Joe Borg, calling for a similar ban to be extended across Europe. “We are once again taking decisive action and sending out a strong, unequivocal message to the rest of Europe,” Lochhead said.

The Sunday Herald understands that the ban was only agreed after a behind-the-scenes tussle between Lochhead and the government’s legal advisers. Ministers are now planning to make an order under the 1981 Fisheries Act prohibiting the removal of shark fins at sea “without exception”.

Under current European rules, special permits allow fishermen to cut off fins as long as they weigh less than 5% of the shark bodies on board. This loophole has enabled thousands of tonnes of fins to be landed in Scottish, English, Spanish, Portuguese and German ports in recent years.

Shark fins, worth up to £450 a kilo, are exported to southern Asia to be made into soup, which is a traditional delicacy at weddings and banquets. Shark meat can also be eaten and their liver oil is used in food additives and lipstick.

Scotland’s seas are home to over 25 species of shark, more than a quarter of which are officially considered to be endangered, with a further 30% threatened. Sharks are vulnerable to overfishing because they mature slowly and give birth to only a few young at a time.

The Scottish government’s announcement, timed to coincide with European Shark Week this week, was warmly welcomed by environmental groups.

“We enthusiastically support the steps taken by Mr Lochhead to ensure Scottish vessels adhere to the actual intention of the ban, that no fins are removed at sea,” said Ali Hood, director of conservation at the Shark Trust.

“We applaud Scotland on its further action in urging the European Commission to review the finning legislation and ensure all sharks caught by European vessels are landed with their fins naturally attached.”

According to the Shark Trust, tens of millions of sharks are killed every year for their fins alone. Species such as shortfin mako, smooth hammerheads and thresher sharks, along with deepwater species such as Portuguese dogfish and gulper sharks, have all been targeted by the UK fleet.

Louize Hill, marine policy officer at WWF Scotland, said: “Shark finning is an incredibly wasteful practice, with over 90 per cent in weight of the shark being discarded and many species targeted threatened with extinction.

“It has become clear that the only effective way to protect these vulnerable species is through a ban. We