3,000 Shark Fins Seized in Colombia
More than 3,000 fins removed from about a thousand sharks were seized in the El Dorado airport, Colombia.
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Shark populations have been damaged by finning over the last few decades.
Sharks coexisted with dinosaurs on Earth and survived four catastrophic extinction events. However, as the world appears to be less harsh and more peaceful, these creatures confront a genuine threat that will not only jeopardize sharks' existence but will undoubtedly influence the whole ecosystem and marine life.
Shark finning is a worldwide phenomenon known as the act of cutting a live shark's fins off and dumping the rest of the animal back into the water. This act is causing a serious threat to the species, about 75 million sharks are killed every year due to this harmful practice.
According to the AFP news agency, Colombian officials seized thousands of shark fins before they could be illegally exported to Hong Kong.
Bogota confiscated 3,493 shark fins and 117 kilograms of fish bladders on their way to Hong Kong, according to Carolina Urrutia, the head of the Colombian environment ministry.
The fins, which were cut from 900 to 1,000 sharks with lengths of up to five meters, were discovered in five containers in Bogota's largest airport, El Dorado, on Friday.
The fins were most likely obtained through illegal fishing, according to Urrutia, who condemned the permanent environmental harm to Colombia's maritime ecology. "The inquiry would be handled by the national police," she added.
Large sharks, such as great white sharks, play an essential role at the top of the marine food chain as top predators. When top predators are removed, a trophic cascade occurs, resulting in decreasing abundance and diminishing ecological health. Without them, the entire food chain may be harmed, resulting in a detrimental influence on the entire environment, including the fish that humans consume.
