SAN DIEGO, California (24 Aug 2002) -- The US Coast Guard has seized a US fishing boat with 12-35 tons of illegally harvested shark fins valued at up to $3.5 million. The Coast Guard stopped King Diamond II, an 82-ft Hawaii-based fishing vessel, about 350 miles southeast of Acapulco, Mexico, searched the vessel and towed it to San Diego. Authorities suspect the King Diamond II was buying shark fins from other vessels, a violation of U.S. law banning the harvest of shark fins and subject to a maximum fine of $120,000. It is estimated that more than 100 million sharks are killed annually to satisfy the demand for shark fins, especially in Asia where shark fin soup is considered a delicacy. The $300 million/year shark finning industry has pushed many shark species to the brink of extinction. Due to their slow rate of reproduction - most sharks do not reach sexual maturity for 12-15 years - it takes decades for a depleted shark population to recover. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORKSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum | | ENDANGERED SPECIES - Sharks, Rays, Skates and Sawfish | - Angular angel shark
- Barndoor skate
- Basking shark
- Borneo shark
- Common sawfish
- Dusky shark
- Freshwater sawfish, Great-tooth sawfish
- Ganges shark
- Great white shark
- Green sawfish
- Grey nurse shark
- Largetooth sawfish
- Night shark
- Pincushion ray
- Sandbar shark
- Sand tiger shark
- Silver shark
- Smalltooth sawfish, Wide sawfish
- Smoothback angel shark
- Speartooth shark
- Spiny dogfish
- Whale shark
- Whitefin topeshark
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