Addressing allegations of worker abuse, the Chinese embassy said Beijing “attaches great importance to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of workers and always calls on Chinese companies to comply with laws and regulations.”
Martínez said she wants the general public to better understand these prehistoric animals. “Sharks are classified as fish, and because of this, they communicate their experiences to us differently than marine mammals.” The human-like eyes and behavior of dolphins and sea lions make it easy for people to project themselves onto them, but it’s hard for people to naturally connect with sharks, Martinez said.
The harvested fins are often shipped to Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China that serves as the world’s largest shark fin trade hub. DNA analysis of fins imported into Hong Kong between 2014 and 2021 found the presence of at least four species on the list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species: the scalloped hammerhead, smooth hammerhead, great hammerhead, and oceanic whitetip shark.
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, China’s lack of restrictions on the possession, transport, and sale of shark fin products is another violation of the US Moratorium Conservation Act. Although there is a ban on serving shark-fin dishes at official Chinese government events, it is not a nationwide ban, the report concluded.
Oliveira said, “If China refuses to adopt comparable protections, the United States should use the tools provided by Congress, including import restrictions.” He highlighted that the ideal outcome is for China to adopt shark protection measures comparable to US law. “The petition aims to make shark conservation standards real, not optional.”
“The level of demand we place on the ocean cannot continue,” Martínez said. Martínez’s first direct encounter with a great white shark was in South Africa. “Shark finning is part of a bigger story, a reflection of how deeply we have exploited our oceans.”
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization covering climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here.
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