Shark fins have been discovered on the roof of a Trade Office building inside the Embassy of Vietnam in Chile, according to photos published by Chilean online newspaper El Mostrador on Friday. El Mostrador reported that neighbors of the Vietnamese embassy, located in Providencia in Chile’s Santiago Province, had smelled a foul odor coming from the diplomatic residence. The fins apparently were first deposited on the roof of the Trade Office building on January 13, according to the Chilean newspaper, citing accounts from neighbors. The neighbors said that first only a small number the fins were deposited on the roof on January 13, over the next five days, more were added until there were more than a hundred shark fins there, El Mostrador reported. In the photos captured on January 18, the fins could be seen with relatively fresh cuts that revealed their bone structures. Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh demanded on Monday that a full report on the incident be made by the Trade Office in Chile and the European–American Markets Department by January 25. The trade ministry has also sent a dispatch to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting its coordination in verifying the issue with the Vietnamese embassy in Chile and working closely with Chilean authorities to handle the case in accordance with local laws. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Dozens of weary Indonesian fishermen sail into a busy port on the resort island of Bali celebrating their lucrative and controversial haul that is destined to end up at Chinese banquets. An undated file photo, released by Conservation International, shows fishermen apprehended by community patrol holding carcasses of dead sharks caught in Raja Ampat, a declared shark and manta ray sanctuary, in West Papua province of Indonesia. The fishermen show off about 100 shark fins, already sliced off the carcasses, that are ready to be sold to middle-men and then most likely onwards to mainland China or cities around…... [read more]
As Asia's ethnic Chinese sit down for lavish banquets to usher in the Lunar New Year, a delicacy long considered a must at celebratory meals is fast disappearing from menus and dinner tables. A growing number of shops, restaurants and hotels have in the past few months given up selling shark fin, which in Asia is usually eaten in soup, throwing a lifeline to the marine predator that activists say is long overdue. "Yes, we do see an increasing number of locals and international businesses saying no to shark's fin," said Elaine Tan, chief executive for environmental group WWF in…... [read more]
Chinese netizens on Wednesday bit back at a government decision to ban serving shark fin soup at state banquets within three years, mocking it as a timid step by leaders who spend lavishly on other delicacies and are aloof from common concerns. Photo: Reuters "You have to wait three years to do this?" demanded Wu Yaxue, a psychologist in Beijing, on his microblog account. "Given the way Chinese civil servants eat, in three years you won't need to enforce this ban; the shark fin will be all gone." Shark fin can sell for up to $600 per pound, increasing the…... [read more]
The US Senate toughened laws against shark finning, hoping to save the ancient fish which experts fear is on the brink of extinction due to growing demand in Chinese restaurants. Tens of millions of sharks are killed each year by fishermen who slice off their fins -- a delicacy in Chinese cuisine -- and leave them to die in the water. Sharks live long and have few offspring, compounding risks to their survival. The United States banned finning in 2000 and has enforced restrictions in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. The new rules close a loophole that permitted trade…... [read more]
Traders have been flocking to the central province of Binh Dinh to harvest shark fins, which sell at high prices because of their supposed health benefits. Fin capital Shark finning involves cutting of the fins and throwing the fish back into the water to die, either of suffocation or by being eaten by other animals because they are unable to move properly. Hoai Huong Commune, Hoai Nhon District, is considered the centre for shark fin business. Both Hoai Huong, and another local commune, Tam Quang Bac, have a large number of boats in operation which are involved in shark fin…... [read more]
