1,400 pounds of shark fins worth about $1 million have been seized in a Miami port
- Wildlife inspectors seized 1,400 pounds of dried shark fins in a Miami port, CBS News reported.
- While it's not illegal to sell shark fins in the US, the shipment contained species banned from trafficking in the US.
- Activists have lobbied Congress to ban the sale of shark fins nationwide.
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Wildlife inspectors seized 1,400 pounds of dried shark fins in a Miami port on January 24, CBS News reported.
The 18 total boxes of shark fins have been valued between $700,000 and $1 million. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials believe the shipment was on its way from South America to Asia, where shark fins are used for cooking and traditional medicine.
Customs and Border Protection helped with the investigation and said the boxes were falsely declared.
While shark finning is illegal in US waters, buying and selling fins is not. However, the shipment violated the Lacey Act, which bans trafficking in illegal wildlife. The shipment contained shark species protected by the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.
The trade of shark fins is a major environmental concern, depleting the ocean's shark populations, according to organizations such as Oceana. Oceana is lobbying Congress to pass the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act to stop the trade in the US.
Authorities have not announced any criminal charges for the Miami shipment. The investigation is ongoing.