Cathay Pacific statement on shark's fin carriage

22 Jun 2016

Cathay Pacific has a long standing commitment to play our role in a more sustainable world. We were one of the first airlines in the world to raise the awareness of the unsustainability of the global shark trade.

The airline has not approved any shipments for shark’s fin for the past year since we instituted a policy agreed with two highly respected international shark conservation agencies. The policy states that any request for shipment of shark or shark products must be assessed by an external panel of acknowledged experts.

Based on our procedure for assessing whether shark products are sustainably sourced, we have rejected all 15 shipment requests for shark-related products in the last 12 months.

We understand the community’s desire to promote responsible and sustainable marine sourcing practices, and this remains important to Cathay Pacific’s overall sustainable development goals.

Therefore, on the issue of shark’s fin, with immediate effect we are happy to agree to ban the carriage. We will continue to review this practice, as we do all our sustainable development policies.

Alex Hofford, a wildlife campaigner for WildAid said: “A responsible corporate like Cathay Pacific should never be seen to be a link in the supply chain for a criminal trade. That’s why we are so happy that Cathay has done the right thing by no longer carry any shark fin or shark products. Shipping sharks by air is not just an issue of sustainability, but ethics and legality.”

Source: Cathay Pacific bans shipments of shark fin amid pressure from conservation groups | Hong Kong Free Press