Activists raise alarm after Hong Kong customs seize 880kg haul of banned shark fins
Wildlife campaigners say the discovery on a ship from Panama shows how fins from protected species are being hidden inside shipments of fins that are legal
Hong Kong customs seized a huge haul of banned shark fins on Tuesday in a bust that suggests the global trade is continuing apace despite major airlines recently banning shipments.
Endangered hammerhead shark fins weighing 880kg – the city’s second largest haul on record – were discovered on board a vessel arriving from Panama owned by cargo and logistics firm China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company, also known as Cosco, according to a government source.
The number of individual fins seized was not given but the haul on board the vessel was estimated to be worth around US$100,000.
On official shipping documents, provided by wildlife campaigners, the consignment was addressed to a company in Sheung Wan. Activists said the seizure provided more evidence that fins from shark species listed under international agreements were being concealed inside shipments of other, identical looking, shark fins that remained legal.
Transportation by ship made up 92 per cent of all Hong Kong shark fin imports – 5,717 tonnes – last year, according to government data.
Shark fin imports to Hong Kong dropped by 42 per cent between 2010 and 2015. During this period there was also a 72 per cent drop in imports by air, to 450 tonnes.
