Hong Kong Seizes Biggest-Ever Haul of Smuggled Shark Fin Worth Over $1 Million
The 26 tonne haul of shark fin represents the deaths of an estimated 38,500 sharks, mostly from endangered species.
A record-breaking haul of smuggled shark fin has been seized by Hong Kong custom officials, after being discovered inside a pair of shipping containers from South America.
The 26 tonne haul is worth around $1.1 million, and represents more than double the 12 tonnes of shark fin seized in all of 2019. Most of the haul had come from protected species of shark.
Whilst the sale and consumption of shark fins is not illegal in Hong Kong, the trade is regulated to protect endangered species.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post, a spokesperson from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department estimated that this latest shark fin seizure represents the slaughter of about 31,000 thrasher sharks and 7,500 silky sharks, both of whom are both protected species.
Over 100 million sharks are slaughtered every year for their fins and other products, with over 50% of the world’s shark fin being traded through Hong Kong alone, according to the Hong Kong Shark Foundation.
A recent survey by WWF found that seven out of 10 Hongkongers had eaten shark fin in 2018, mainly at three kinds of occasion: weddings, office functions and family gatherings. The WWF currently campaigns against the lucrative trade by urging hotels and restaurants to commit to their No Shark Fin pledge.
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