Vancouver company fined for importing shark fins

A trading company based in Vancouver has been fined for importing hundreds of kilograms of shark fins from a threatened species.

A statement from Environment and Climate Change Canada says Kiu Yick Trading Company has been ordered to pay $60,000 for importing 434 kilograms of shark fins.

It says the ruling was issued in provincial court after the company pleaded guilty to unlawfully importing an at-risk or threatened species in 2018, as part of a large shipment of dried shark fins from Hong Kong.

The fine must be paid to the federal government's Environmental Damages Fund and Kiu Yick forfeited all 13 boxes of silky shark fins but was allowed to keep the remainder of the inspected shipment, which included fins from two other species of shark not considered at risk.

Shark fins are used in traditional medicines and in making shark-fin soup.

The silky shark, found in most of the world's subtropical waters and known for the smooth texture of its skin, is ranked as "near threatened," because its population is decreasing, it has a long gestation period, few young and is slow growing.