The trade in shark fins is still underway in the United States, despite legislation making such activities illegal, an investigative report has found. Environmentalists say this indicates that officials need to do more to enforce the laws already in place to stamp out illegal activities and protect sharks, which are globally threatened with extinction. On Dec. 6, Al Jazeera English released a documentary about the illegal shark fin trade between South America and the United States, as part of its “Fault Lines” program. Led by senior correspondent Josh Rushing, the report begins in Chimbote, Peru, where environmental prosecutor Evelyn LaMadrid investigates a fin-drying operation at a local shop, where illegally sourced shark fins were being dried and prepared for sale. While shark finning is prohibited in Peru (meaning that sharks must be landed with their fins still attached), there are few other restrictions on the shark trade. For instance, Peru allows the export of shark fins, although the nation must comply with any restrictions established by CITES, the international convention on the wildlife trade. During the investigation, LaMadrid and her team end up confiscating 180 kilograms (nearly 400 pounds) of dried shark fins from nine different species, including endangered whale sharks (Rhincodon typus). In 2018, LaMadrid also spearheaded an operation to arrest two people illegally trafficking 1,800 kg (nearly 4,000 lbs) of shark fins, which eventually led to the nation’s first conviction and jail sentence for this crime in 2022. Sharks cast aside after being finned. Image by Sebastián Losada…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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