Hoards of illegal Shark Fins had been impounded and destroyed by the Trading Standards in one of the most elite Chinese restaurant in London. Confiscation of the illegal shark fins comes after its restaurant manager admitted selling shark fins and other exotic dishes not indicated in its menu in January.
Royal China Club in London's West End is very popular among Britons for its sumptuous shark fins and other out-of-the-ordinary menu. However, its business was temporarily halted when it was found that they were selling and serving illegal shark fins.
The investigation was led by the Westminster City Council trading standards after its restaurant marketing manager, Jason Chan, admitted during the Independent interview in January that they were selling illegal shark fins.
"The parallels between the trade in ivory and shark fins are huge and the fact that the Royal China Club has now been caught illegally importing fins to the UK is a further evidence of the corrupt industry behind this controversial menu item," said Graham Buckingham, campaign director at Bite-Back, a marine conservation charity.
In the Independent report, Mr. Chan stated that illegal shark fins coming from Hong Kong were brought into the UK through suitcases in the airport customs, otherwise they will be sequestered. Importing illegal shark fins bypass the UK import law, the International Business Times reports.
Mr. Chan added that a set menu amounts to £2,800 a head where customers can enjoy rare special items including abalone and sea cucumber.
During the thorough examination, the Westminster City Council had found that the restaurant is violating the UK import law as they were importing shark fins through prohibited channels.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, over 73 million sharks are reportedly killed each year due to the growing demand for fins in Asia.
Meanwhile, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that Royal China Club could have sold shark fin soup legally if they imported them the right way.
Illegal shark fins is wrong and in the first place, eating shark fins must be controlled and worldwide ban must be done in order to protect endangered species, the animal rights group stated.
