Cathay Pacific bans shark fin from its cargo flights
Airline bows to pressure from environmental groups, who hail the decision as a major victory
Cathay Pacific has bowed to pressure from environmental groups and banned shark fin from its cargo flights.
The move by the airline - believed by environmentalists to fly up to 50 per cent of all shark fin imported by air to Hong Kong - was hailed as a major victory for opponents of the trade.
Cathay imposed the ban - which also applies to subsidiary carrier Dragonair - weeks after receiving a letter signed by 40 groups ranging from Greenpeace Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society to the US-based Humane Society International and Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project.
The green groups estimate that Cathay flew up to 650 tonnes of shark fin into Hong Kong last year. The airline has declined to put a figure on how much it carried, but is understood to have told campaigners that it only carries a fraction of that amount.
The airline said: "Cathay Pacific has decided to stop shipping unsustainably sourced sharks and shark-related products.
"The carrier expects the transition to this new policy will take approximately three months as it notifies shippers and puts the appropriate procedures in place. However, effective immediately, Cathay Pacific will not enter into any new contracts in this regard." Cathay Pacific said it had been researching the issue for "a very long time".
"Due to the vulnerable nature of sharks, their rapidly declining population, and the impact of overfishing for their parts and products, our carriage of these is inconsistent with our commitment to sustainable development," it said.