Sharks & Rays Conservation Initiative: Shark Fin Transit Project (1)

The unmonitored transit of shark products through the U.S. is recognized as a potentially significant, but poorly understood, problem. Anecdotal information indicates that large volumes of fins from countries in Central America are transiting U.S. ports en route to Asia. However, it was unclear whether the U.S. was monitoring and inspecting these shipments or enforcing cases where illegal shark fin was being traded. This project aims to illuminate the scope of shark fin transit through the U.S. and identify key dynamics, including volumes, routes, species, primary ports, and nations involved in shipping fins through the U.S. NRDC will also assess the U.S. legal authority to monitor, inspect, and, where appropriate, seize these shark fin shipments.