The operation was carried out by agents of the police and the Ministry of Production, who located the goods in the warehouses of Pacific Products Fishing & Foods, an export company located in the city of Tumbes (north), on the border with Ecuador. The company did not have documents certifying the origin of the product, according to the Ministry of Production.
Illegal fishing and protected species
“Shark fins are highly valued in international markets such as Asia, which has encouraged illegal fishing practices, severely affecting marine biodiversity,” denounced the Peruvian Environmental Movement.
Shark fins are a popular ingredient in the preparation of soups and dishes to which popular belief attributes aphrodisiac or anti-aging properties.
Requiem requiem (Carcharhinidae) and hammerhead sharks (Sphynidae) are the species most affected by fin trafficking.
According to the international organization for the protection of the marine environment Oceana, 66 of the approximately 400 species of sharks in the world are found in Peruvian waters.