Editorial | Battle to end trade in shark fins is not over
- The seizure of 26 tonnes of the so-called delicacy by Hong Kong customs officials shows that where there is demand there will be supply
Wrongdoers prefer to commit their crimes when the authorities are distracted. That’s one theory advanced by animal rights group WWF-Hong Kong to explain a record seizure of imported shark fin, valued at HK$8.6 million.
Gloria Lai Pui-yin, the group’s senior conservation officer for sustainability, says it does not mean demand is rising again. Rather it could mean traders see a chance to ship the shark fins to Asian markets while government and law enforcement officials in other countries are preoccupied with efforts to combat the pandemic.
It could equally be argued that Hong Kong authorities’ preoccupation with the anti-government protest movement and violent street protests that erupted last June, and now with the Covid-19 pandemic emergency, could not have provided better potential cover for bad deeds.
Customs officials uncovered 26 tonnes of shark fins taken from 38,500 endangered sharks inside a pair of shipping containers from Ecuador, more than double the 12 tonnes seized in all of last year. The value of the seizure would have been much greater if the shark fins had been of a higher grade, according to a law enforcement source. Both consignments were sent from the same shipper to the same logistics company and customs officials said at least some of the seizure was for local consumption.
Whatever the reason for the record shipment, it comes as a blow to conservation campaigners who have enjoyed success across the board against the cruel trade, among both consumers and supply chains.
Chinese attitudes towards shark’s fin soup have changed amid the conflict between conservation awareness and culinary habits. Banquet hosts and guests no longer treat shark’s fin soup as a given on the menu, and a concerted effort by airlines through cargo bans, and by traders and caterers have contributed to the trend.
But adherence to culinary tradition persists. And where there is demand there is supply. Hosts and diners can still make a difference. If more of them can be persuaded to say no to shark fin, they can help make the supply chain less profitable which, hopefully, can ultimately halt the slaughter.