Singapore is now the second largest trader of sharks' fins in Singapore, according to a report published by wildlife-trade monitoring network Traffic and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
In-depth analysis of the trade here was hampered by a lack of detail in the Singapore Customs’ import and export data, both organisations noted.
They have urged the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) to start recording data on the trade using the internationally recognised harmonised system (HS) codes developed by the World Customs Organisation. AVA has told them that this was under way.
Singapore is the second-largest importer of shark’s fin after Hong Kong. Imports over the same period were valued at US$51.4 million; for Hong Kong it was US$170 million.
Singapore is also placed second as a re-exporter of the product, at an average of 2,422 tonnes yearly between 2012 and 2013. This makes up one-tenth of the world’s total exports. It re-exported the commodity to countries such as Hong Kong, China and Japan.