Person apprehended with a stock of shark fins

Naval personnel, during a raid conducted in Pudumathalan area on 23^rd June 2019, apprehended a person with a stock of shark fins.

A group of naval personnel attached to the Eastern Naval Command apprehended a suspect with 854.3kg of shark fins, during a raid conducted in Pudumathalan area. The arrest was made when the stock was made ready to be transported by a freezer lorry. The arrested person has been identified as a resident of Mattakkuliya, aged 48. The suspect along with seized shark fins and freezer lorry was handed over to the Assistant Director of Fisheries in Mullaitivu for onward action.

Further, shark species have faced a threat of extinction due to mass destroying of sharks to obtain their fins for exporting and large number of sharks are killed all over the world for shark fins. Since there is a high demand for the special soup prepared using shark fins in the East Asian countries like Japan and China, shark hunting has become a more profitable livelihood.

As the cartilage part of the shark fins is used for shark soup, the fishermen have used to cut the main fin of the caught sharks and sometimes they release the sharks after cutting the fins out at sea itself. The Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has totally prohibited the capturing of Whale Shark, Treasure Shark and Ocean White Strip Shark that are under threat of extinction.

Shark is one of the species which helps to keep a balanced maritime environment. Sri Lanka Navy is committed to avert all illegal acts which harm the environment.