Colombia confiscates over 3000 shark fins before they illegally shipped to Hong Kong
September 25, 2021, 8:22 am

Colombia confiscates over 3000 shark fins before they illegally shipped to Hong Kong

Shark in sea

The France24 reported according to AFP, thousands of shark fins were confiscated by Colombian authorities before they could be illegally shipped to Hong Kong.

Environmental ministry head Carolina Urrutia said, Bogota "seized 3,493 shark fins and 117 kilos of fish bladders that were en route to Hong Kong."

The report said, the haul highlights the continued demand for shark fin, served at wedding banquets in some Chinese communities and falsely believed to have medicinal properties.

The fins, removed from 900 to 1,000 sharks measuring up to five metres, were found on Friday in five boxes in Bogota's busiest airport El Dorado.

Taken "more than three species" of shark, the fins were likely harvested in "illegal fishing", said Urrutia, condemning "the irreversible environmental damage to Colombia's marine ecosystem".

She added, national police will handle the investigation.

Shark fishing has been banned in Colombia -- which is home to 76 of the 500 known shark varieties -- since 2020 in an attempt to stem Asia's fin trade.

The sale and consumption of shark fin is not illegal in Hong Kong but must be licensed, and has remained stubbornly popular despite years of campaigning.

Some of the ocean's most vital apex predators, shark populations have been decimated over the last few decades with finning and industrial longline fishing the main culprits.

Source: france24

Catholic Church apologizes to Canada's indigenous peoples for a century of abuses Prince Andrew accepts U.S. service of Virginia Giuffre's sexual assault lawsuit

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”