Police Confiscate 176 Smuggled Shark Fins

Jakarta Globe, May 28, 2015

Indonesian authorities in Bali have confiscated smuggled shark fins which
are a protected species under Indonesian law. (AFP Photo/Sonny Tumelaka)

Jakarta. Police in Indonesia have arrested one person seized 176 shark fins destined for Bali from the island of Java.

Comr. Nyoman Wirya Sucipta, the chief of the port police in Gilimanuk, the main crossing point into Bali from East Java, said on Thursday that the fins were found wrapped in plastic and packed into boxes, and were believed to have been taken from several different species of sharks.

Wirya told Antara that port police officers also arrested a man, identified as Hasan Basri from East Java, for carrying the fins.

“We’re still questioning the owner of the fins. He couldn’t show us any proper documentation that would allowed him to carry the fins of endangered animals,” Wirya said.

Police have sent the fins to the Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) in Denpasar, the Bali capital, to test which shark species they come from.

Shark-finning, a brutal practice in which fishermen slice the fins off sharks and throw the animal back into the water to die, is technically not banned in Indonesia. However, the government lists several species of sharks as protected, and any trade in their parts is prohibited and punishable by law.

The shark-fin trade is driven by a growing demand for Chinese cuisine, where the part is considered a delicacy. Dozens of Chinese restaurants in Jakarta alone serve shark fin soup, advertising the dish prominently.