Recently, we have been hearing persistent claims of declining shark fin imports into Hong Kong. But many of the reports — both in local and international media — have been guilty of peddling misinformation, which has created confusion around the real issue.
Claims from the shark fin industry of a drop in imports of some 30 per cent — and even one report of 70 per cent — are exaggerated. Data from the Census and Statistics Department clearly indicates a 19.8 per cent drop in imports from 2011 to 2012. What's more, for the 15 years up to and including 2011, shark fin imports have remained relatively constant at about 10,000 tonnes a year, albeit with some fluctuations.
That contrasts significantly with the figure of 1,162 metric tons recently reported for 2012. The exaggerated drop in the 2012 figure, which was widely reported, is probably a result of the fact that the codes under which shark fin products are reported were revised in the 2012 government data.
A large quantity of fins were recorded against a previously rarely used code and omitted from the total figure reported.
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