Sharks for sale at a traditional market in Tanjung Luar in Lombok, West Nusa Teggara, November 9, 2014 (AFP Photo/Sonny Tumbelaka)
Police stopped an alleged smuggler in his tracks, reportedly confiscating over a hundred shark fins that where on the way to Bali from Java.
Chief of port police in Gilimanuk, Nyoman Wirya Sucipta, says the fins were wrapped in plastic and packed into boxes, reports the Jakarta Globe.
Wirya also reportedly said that a man named Hasan Basri from East Java was arrested for carrying the fins.
“We’re still questioning the owner of the fins. He couldn’t show us any proper documentation that would allowed him to carry the fins of endangered animals,” Wirya said.
It’s been an uphill battle for Indonesians to get a grip on the shark fishing industry, that often targets sharks just for their fins, which are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, especially in China.
The fins confiscated have reportedly been sent to the Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) to be tested to determine which types of shark of they come from.
While the practice of catching sharks and removing their fins is technically not illegal in Indonesia, some species of sharks are protected under Indonesian law, which makes trading their body parts, such as their fins, an offense.
