The captain of a fishing boat was arrested Sunday off Quepos in Costa Rica after coast guard officers discovered 21 shark fins on the vessel.
The boat, named the Argentina, was seized after the search, which also revealed an illegally-caught sailfish.
The fins are believed to have been removed from four sharks. The captain was due to appear in court this week.
Shark finning, which has been banned in Costa Rica waters since October 2012, is a cruel practice that involves slicing fins from live sharks and leaving the sharks to die a slow death.
Shark fins, which are used to make shark fin soup, demand a high price in some Asian markets.
–Source: Tico Times
–Image courtesy of Costa Rica's Public Security Ministry
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