June 29, 2018 — A new set of Chinese tariffs on U.S. seafood including items made from shark fins could jeopardize what remains of the American industry for the controversial products.
China announced the 25 percent tariffs in mid-June that are expected to apply to exported American goods such as lobster and salmon beginning in July. They also will apply to whole or cut shark fins, as well as shark fin products that are canned or preserved, according to a Chinese government website.
The U.S. has long banned “shark finning,” a practice long reviled by animal welfare groups that involves removing the fin from a shark and discarding the animal at sea. It is still legal to remove and sell the fin of a legally harvested shark after it is brought to land.
The steep tariffs, which could turn away business from U.S. exporters, might have implications for American shark fishermen and processors. China is one of the biggest buyers of shark fins, as the product is used to make shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy.
“My sense is that’s going to decrease demand for sustainably fished U.S. shark fins, and increase demand from countries with less sustainable fisheries,” said Shaun Gehan, an attorney for Sustainable Shark Alliance, which represents shark fishermen and dealers. “It’ll just be a hardship for the small fish houses and the fishermen that participate in this fishery.”
Hundreds of fishermen in the U.S. seek numerous species of shark for their meat and fins in a tightly regulated fishery. The fins represent about a quarter of the value of a shark, and fins that U.S. fishermen harvest are often shipped to Asia for processing.
Read the full story from the Associated Press at the East Oregonian