Shark fin clampdown by shipping firms does little to stop Hong Kong imports
WWF-Hong Kong says loopholes in shipping regulations means fins can be hidden, or easily missed, on bills of lading
More shipping companies may be banning shark fin from their containers every year, but this has not affected the volume of shark products being imported into Hong Kong, according to a conservation group.
Since 2010, 17 shipping firms, representing 80 per cent of the industry, have adopted shark fin-free carriage policies. But official statistics indicate that imports of shark products – mostly comprised of fins – did not fall significantly between 2013 and 2016.
From 8,285 tonnes in 2012, they dropped sharply to 5,412 the next year following a Beijing’s clampdown on extravagance and corruption. The figure has remained at that level since, even showing a slight uptick between 2015 and 2016 from 5,718 tonnes to 5,775 tonnes.
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WWF-Hong Kong believed that loopholes in shipping regulations were allowing the transport of fins to continue under the noses of these firms.
The group identified miscommunication and – deliberate or unknowing – mislabelling of bills of lading and customs declarations as key challenges.
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On Tuesday, it released an implementation guideline for firms, urging them to take note of such discrepancies.