Peruvian police said Monday they had seized a shipment of shark fins, a highly sought-after ingredient in soups and aphrodisiac potions, which were said to have been illegally exported to Asia. The shipment is one of the largest ever found and is worth US$8 million in the Asian market, according to authorities.
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“We seized more than six tons of shark fins of different species, which are strictly prohibited from catching,” General Manuel Lozada, head of the Criminal Investigation Division, told AFP.
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The fins were hidden in a secret warehouse in a house in Callao, a coastal city near Lima.
The police chief said, “Fishermen are dying and causing a terrible impact on the marine ecosystem in the area, as they catch endangered sharks,” noting that the fishermen “cut off their fins and threw the bodies back into the sea.” The police chief added, “The seizure is one of the largest ever found and is valued at US$8 million in the Asian market.”
Six tons of shark fins seized in Panama
The product is widely used as an ingredient in a popular soup in East Asia
During the operation, three Peruvian citizens were arrested and are being investigated by the authorities on charges of participating in a criminal organization dedicated to trafficking in this product. Shark fin is highly prized in the market due to its supposed aphrodisiac properties. According to popular belief, shark fin soup slows down aging, improves appetite, helps memory and stimulates sexual desire.
Specimens from the requiem shark (Carcharhinidae) and hammerhead shark (Sphynidae) families are most trafficked as an ingredient in shark fin soup. There are approximately 400 species of sharks in the world, 66 of which are found in Peru, according to the international marine conservation organization Oceana.
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