Hong Kong airline to stop carrying shark fins as cargo

Hong Kong airline Cathay ­Pacific is to stop carrying shark fins as cargo, bowing to pressure from conservation groups as China’s appetite for shark-fin soup soars.

“Due to the vulnerable nature of sharks, their rapidly declining population, and the impacts of overfishing for their parts, our carriage of these is inconsistent with our commitment to sustainable development,” a Cathay spokesman said.

Shark-fin soup has long been a staple of Chinese banquets and its consumption is becoming more commonplace as incomes in China rise.

Cathay is the biggest airline in Hong Kong, which is estimated to account for about half of the global trade in shark fins. The company is also one of the world’s biggest cargo airlines.

Read the full article at – http://www.scotsman.com/news/international/airline-stops-transport-of-sharks-fins-1-2512093