WWF Cheers 14 Percent Fall In Shark Fin Imports

WWF-Hong Kong says a change in people’s attitudes towards eating shark fin, together with the introduction of airline and shipping bans for the product, contributed to a 14 percent drop in shark fin imports to Hong Kong last year.

The conservation group went over trade figures released by the Census and Statistics Department last month, and highlighted that 4,979 tonnes of shark fin were imported into the territory last year, down from 5,775 tonnes in 2016.

Of the 2017 figure, 1,434 tonnes were re-exported – down 18 percent from the previous year.

For the ten-year-period to 2017, imports have plummeted 51 percent.

Tracy Tsang, WWF-Hong Kong’s senior programme officer for Oceans Sustainability, said this suggests that shark fin trading and consumption both declined substantially, and credited growing public awareness about the importance of shark conservation as a key reason for the fall.

“It is very encouraging news,” she said.

Tsang also said bans by airlines and shipping firms on carrying shark fin products have also helped substantially, and called on companies that have yet to impose such bans to consider the move.