Hong Kong shark fin imports ‘halved since 2007’, thanks to tighter regulations and shipping bans
Two-fifths of global shark fin stocks pass through the city to other destination markets, and falling numbers show a ‘promising’ trend, green group says
Shark fin imports to Hong Kong, the world’s largest fin trading hub, have been cut by half since 2007 owing to shipping bans and tighter international regulations, according to a conservation group.
Between 2007 and last year, re-exports also dropped by three quarters, suggesting a “declining market for shark fin in mainland China”, WWF-Hong Kong said. Two-fifths of global shark fin stocks pass through Hong Kong to other destination markets.
The group called the results compiled from government data “promising” and an indicator that environmental campaigns, including mounting pressure on shipping companies to stop carrying the fins, as well as improved monitoring of shipping documents, were paying off.
“Sharks have a very important role to play in balancing the ecosystem and some species are already facing catastrophic declines,” said Dr Andy Cornish, who leads WWF’s global shark and ray initiative. “A 50 per cent drop in imports [to Hong Kong] would have been felt by shark traders around the globe, and should result in less pressure on shark populations.”
In 2007, Hong Kong imported 10,210 tonnes of shark fins as conservation efforts began to pick up pace. By 2013, the city’s annual volume dropped to 5,412 tonnes and last year it was down to 4,979 tonnes. Re-exports also fell from 5,683 tonnes in 2007 to 1,434 tonnes in 2017.