Corpses of dozens of young sharks with fins cut off found washed up in Taiwan
- 8 years ago
HSINCHU, TAIWAN — Dozens of mutilated shark corpses were found washed up on a beach in Hsinchu, Taiwan with their fins cut off on Tuesday, Apple Daily reported.
The sharks were left to die and rot, because they were not as valuable as their precious fins.
Taiwanese coast guard and government officials launched an investigation after a netizen named Kay Chen found the sharks and posted about it on Facebook.
Authorities said they will gather surveillance footage in an attempt to determine the identity of the culprits who de-finned the poor animals.
The fins are the most valuable part of the fish, and local residents have blamed fisherman for the brutal practice.
In Taiwan, it's illegal to separate a shark's fin from the rest of its body, and the fine for doing so is the equivalent of between $1,000 and $5,000.
However, shark fin soup can still be found on the menu at upscale hotels and restaurants in Taiwan and other East Asian countries.
Shark fins are used in traditional Chinese medicine, and in shark fin soup, an expensive delicacy served at fancy restaurants and banquets.
Shark fin is prized in Chinese medicine for its purported health benefits, but levels of mercury and other toxins in shark fins have been found to be too high for human consumption.
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The sharks were left to die and rot, because they were not as valuable as their precious fins.
Taiwanese coast guard and government officials launched an investigation after a netizen named Kay Chen found the sharks and posted about it on Facebook.
Authorities said they will gather surveillance footage in an attempt to determine the identity of the culprits who de-finned the poor animals.
The fins are the most valuable part of the fish, and local residents have blamed fisherman for the brutal practice.
In Taiwan, it's illegal to separate a shark's fin from the rest of its body, and the fine for doing so is the equivalent of between $1,000 and $5,000.
However, shark fin soup can still be found on the menu at upscale hotels and restaurants in Taiwan and other East Asian countries.
Shark fins are used in traditional Chinese medicine, and in shark fin soup, an expensive delicacy served at fancy restaurants and banquets.
Shark fin is prized in Chinese medicine for its purported health benefits, but levels of mercury and other toxins in shark fins have been found to be too high for human consumption.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US news, celebrity gossip, salacious scandals, dumb criminals and much more! Subscribe now for daily news animations that will knock your socks off.
Visit our official website for all the latest, uncensored videos: http://us.tomonews.net
Check out our Android app: http://bit.ly/1rddhCj
Check out our iOS app: http://bit.ly/1gO3z1f
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