Authorities make 'historic bust' after finding concerning cargo in shipping container: 'Cartels seek to legally and illegally harvest more and more'
According to Mexico News Daily, the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) and the Naval Ministry (SEMAR) confiscated 135 sacks of shark fins, totaling 2,433 kilograms (over 5,000 pounds) during an inspection of a shipping container at the Port of Ensenada, Baja California.
The traffickers took the fins from various shark species, including silky sharks, hammerheads, and bull sharks, and some were from baby and juvenile sharks.
While the fins found were not from sharks listed as threatened or endangered, they were from the CITES Appendix II list, which means they are at risk of being threatened if trade is not regulated.
Mexico News Daily reported, "The export of such sharks to international markets is regulated by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and since the ship's captain did not possess the corresponding CITES certificate, the fins were seized."
The ship was headed to Shanghai, China.
According to the 2022 Brookings report, "Chinese actors and markets are thickly intertwined in Mexico's illegal economies, such as drug and wildlife trafficking and money laundering."
Additionally, animals, including shark fins, are used to buy drug precursors.
The Brookings report noted, "The increasing role of this payment method can devastate biodiversity in Mexico, as the cartels seek to legally and illegally harvest more and more of a wider and wider range of animal and plant species to pay for precursors."
Biodiversity is vital for human survival. According to The Royal Society, a healthy ecosystem, comprising a diverse range of microorganisms, plants, and animals, is essential for the food humans eat and the air they breathe.
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Some forms of wildlife trafficking involve introducing foreign species into an ecosystem. While not all foreign species are invasive, the ones that are can harm the local ecosystem — invasive species can take out native species.
Countries and U.S. states are working to pass laws to combat wildlife trafficking. For example, in May, the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill was passed in Nigeria's House of Representatives.
Colorado also enacted a law that toughens penalties for wildlife traffickers and strengthens enforcement.
If you're concerned about wildlife trafficking, you can use your voice to speak with your representatives and advocate for similar laws to be passed near you. It will help protect your ecosystem and the animals.
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