Frankfurt Airport Fin Seizure

In spring 2018, a cargo plane from Mexico landed at Frankfurt airport. On this plane was a consignment containing 3 tonnes of shark fins with an estimated market value of €3,000,000 on its way to Hong Kong. Customs officers discovered the consignment and on inspecting its paper work made the decision to review its content to verify compliance with CITES.

400kg of fins were seized however the remaining cargo was released for the onward flight to Hong Kong.

Read the full story for more details here!

Maldivian Airport Fin Seizure

On 4th January 2021, 21 boxes containing 429kg of shark fins were seized by the Maldives Customs Service at Velana International Airports Security. The seizure was valued at £123,560. A source close to Shark Guardian revealed that the fins were on the way to Hong Kong.
 
Shark fishing and the trade of shark products has been banned in the Maldives for over a decade and carries a penalty of up to 400,000 MVR (£19,000).
 

Read the full story for more details here!

Brussels Airport Fin Seizure

In 2019, customs officers seized 24 bags containing 1.2 tonnes of fins from sharks and rays. These were being transported from Liberia to Hong Kong via Brussels. The consignment was vaguely labelled as dried fish and fish entrails, as such it roused the suspicions of customs officers. They found 21 bags containing the fins from sharks and rays, including CITES-listed hammerheads and guitarfish.

Read the full story for more details here!

Retention Ban & Moratorium on Landing, Sale, and Trade

Spain and Portugal revealed last week they are banning the retention of shortfin mako sharks (even when caught as bycatch) and commence a moratorium on the landing, sale, and trade makos – particularly in the North Atlantic where populations are on the verge of collapse.
 
Spain and Portugal collectively account for ~65% of the total landings of North Atlantic makos, as such their bans provide real hope that populations can recover.
 
How can we best use this momentum? Ask Spanish and Portuguese airlines to ensure they are adhering to new regulations by implementing a ban on shark fin transportation on their airlines!
 
A list of Spanish and Portuguese airlines can be found here – just use the search function!
More details on the retention ban and moratorium can be found here!