Feds intercept $1 million worth of shark fin at Miami port
Federal officials seized over 1,000 pounds of shark fin worth nearly $1 million at a Miami, Florida, port on Monday, CNN reports. According to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official, the shipment violated the Lacey Act, a federal law that prohibits the trade of illegally obtained wildlife. The agency suspects that the shipment came from South America and was headed toward Asia, where there’s a lucrative market—and palate—for shark fin. Animal welfare advocates have linked demand for shark fin with declining shark stocks. However, U.S.-caught shark meat—meaning the whole fish, not just its fins—is potentially an ocean-friendly protein choice, according to the federal government, touting the strength of its conservation-minded catch limits.
