4,000 illegal shark fins seized by customs in The Hague

Illegal shark fins from over 1,000 sharks were intercepted by customs at a postal sorting center in The Hague, according to a statement by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). The government agency is investigating whether Dutch nationals were involved.

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) reported that the shipments were heading for the Netherlands from Hong Kong. These shipments contained 120 kilograms of shortfin mako shark fins and 29 additional fins from the smooth hammerhead shark. The agency estimated that the seized cargo is equivalent to around 4,000 fins, suggesting the death of approximately 800 to 1,300 sharks.

The shark fins originated from two shark species that are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), an international agreement that regulates the trade of endangered species. To legally import or export species protected under CITES, permits are needed, which can be obtained from RFO. Customs officers routinely check these permits. In this case, the required CITES documentation was missing, leading the RFO to confiscate and eventually destroy the shark fins. The RVO is currently investigating the Dutch entities involved in these incidents.

The governmental body further emphasized the urgent need for the protection of sharks, citing estimates that around 100 million sharks are killed annually, primarily for their fins.

Sharks are fished worldwide, mainly for their fins, which are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world. Some also believe shark fins to have medicinal properties. This has led to unsustainable practices such as shark finning, where sharks are caught, their fins cut off, and the rest of the body discarded back into the sea, often while the shark is still alive.