Kiu Yick Trading Co. Ltd. has been fined $60,000 for illegally importing 434 kg of shark fins — the equivalent of 3,185 sharks — says Environment and Climate Change Canada. .The Vancouver company declared the targeted shipments as containing blue shark fins, which may be imported without a permit. But upon inspection silky shark fins were discovered..The Wild Animal and Plant Trade Regulations lists the silky shark as an Appendix II CITES species, which means an export permit from Hong Kong is required. .CITES a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals.. Screen-Shot-2021-05-20-at-2.12.04-PMSilky shark. Courtesy Wildfor.life .No permit was presented, and roughly half of the boxes were confiscated. Further DNA testing confirmed the inspectors suspicions, as over 65% of the dried fins belonged to the silky shark— resulting in what is likely the largest forfeiture of shark fins in Canada, said the ministry. .Kiu Yick officials pleaded guilty in the Provincial Court of British Columbia to unlawfully importing a CITES-listed species without a permit. The fine will be administered to the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund, which is used to support projects that are purportedly beneficial to the environment. .The 434 kg of silky shark fins have been forfeited to the Crown, and the lawfully imported fins returned to the importer. .“Over 50 percent of shark and ray species are threatened or near threatened with extinction. This reality is largely due to unsustainable fishing efforts coupled with high demand in the international fin trade,” said CITED.Kiu Yick Trading Co. Ltd. officials told the Western Standard they have no comment..Small is a correspondent for the Western Standard based in Vancouver.,rsmall@westernstandardonline.com,
