Brazil seizes one ton of shark fins destined for Japan

A bill progressing through the committee stage (hopefully) in Hawaii will, if ultimately passed, ban the sale and possession of shark fins. Hawaii would become the first state in the U.S. to accomplish this and it would be perceived as a small but important step toward ending the cruel and environmentally damaging practice of shark finning.

Here's hoping Hawaii lawmakers have noticed a short story that moved on the wires today. Brazilian authorities on Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro  seized a container loaded with a ton of shark fins and destined for the Japanese market. Agence France-Presse news service reports that the frozen fins, as illegal cargo, will be destroyed.

The owner of the export company in Brazil was fined $29,700 and crews of the fishing boats also are expected to be penalized for illegally slaughtering sharks.

A spokeswoman for the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources said on the IBAMA website that "careful monitoring" of the nation's fisheries was needed to "ensure that commercial fishing is not threatening shark species off the Brazilian coast, some of which are endangered."

Shark-fin soup is considered a delicacy in Asian communities, particularly in China. Demand is high enough that about 70 million sharks are killed annually for their fins. In most cases, fins are removed and sharks are dumped overboard, often while they're still alive, so crews can make room for more fins.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo of shark-fin seizure in Brazil courtesy of IBAMA

Comments

[B]

I sure hope the ban in Hawaii goes through. Good job Brasil!