Yahoo – AFP,
24 June 2013
 |
This file
photo shows passengers looking through the windows of an Air Pacific
aircraft featuring
a mural of an idyllic tropical island, in Nadi, on November 11, 2003
|
Fiji's
national carrier Air Pacific announced on Monday it will no longer carry shark
fins that come from unsustainable or unverified sources.
The airline
said it had carried out a month-long review of its freight policies and decided
to only accept shark products from sustainable sources which did not involve
threatened species.
"This
is consistent with our overriding commitment to environmental protection and
conservation efforts in Fiji," acting chief executive Aubrey Swift said in
a statement.
The move
comes after environmentalists had criticised the airline for flying shark fins
to Hong Kong, where it is used in shark-fin soup, which is regarded as a
delicacy.
Swift said
the airline would closely monitor shipments of shark products from the Pacific
nation, effective immediately.
"We
will now work with conservation partners and the fishing industry to prepare
and implement policies and processes that will ensure that future shipments are
sustainably sourced," he said.
Shark-fin
soup was once a luxury enjoyed just by China's elite, but as the country has
grown wealthier demand has boomed, placing pressure on shark populations.
The UN Food
and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates humans kill about 100 million
sharks each year, placing dozens of species under threat.
Last week
South Korea's two largest airlines, Korean Air and Asiana, said they had both
decided to ban shark fin from their cargo flights.
Hong Kong
airline Cathay Pacific stopped shipping shark fin as cargo last September.
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