Peruvian police seize 1.3 tons of shark fins

In Peru, about1.3 US tons of illegally harvested shark fins have been seized, Peruvian authorities said on Monday. According to the Sunat customs agency, the discovery was made at the warehouse of an export company from where they were to have been shipped, without the necessary license, to Asia.

Harvesting often involves catching sharks, removing their fins, and tossing them back into the ocean to die. According to the Pew Environment Group, between 63 million and 273 million sharks are killed every year, mainly for their fins and other parts.