Nearly 2,000 Pounds of Illegal Shark Fins Found in Cargo
Nearly 2,000 Pounds of Illegal Shark Fins Found in Cargo
In this week’s crime blotter: fins from Panama, ivory necklaces and bracelets, and 24 illegal logging suspects arrested
By Jani Actman
PUBLISHED July 10, 2016
Hong Kong authorities discovered 1,940 pounds (880 kilograms) of illegal shark fins on Tuesday in cargo arriving from Panama. The bust marks Hong Kong’s second largest shark fin haul, according to the South China Morning Post.
The fins, estimated to be worth about $100,000, are suspected to have come from an endangered hammerhead shark. The shipment didn’t have the proper permits and was addressed to a company in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Authorities have launched an investigation.
Hammerhead sharks are found in temperate and tropical waters all over the world. Smooth, scalloped and great hammerheads are highly threatened as a result of incidental bycatch and exploitation to meet demand for their meat and shark fin soup, which is considered a delicacy in China. They’re protected under Hong Kong law and an international treaty that restricts their trade.
Hong Kong accounts for half the global legal trade in shark fins. Last year, 92 percent of the 6,300 tons of shark fin imports reached Hong Kong by ship, the South China Morning Post reports.
More:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/07/wildlife-shark-fins-hong-kong-hammerheads-smuggling-poaching/
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