China has a long history of using sharks and their products but large-scale commercial exploitation of sharks, in particular significant international trade in them, is very recent. This may have been because of limited development of techniques of exploitation, utilization and harvesting and perhaps the socio-economic model adopted after the Second World War also contributed. The market economy introduced at the end of 1970s accelerated development and is highly focused on natural resources. Some traditional processing, transit, import and export activities have been stimulated. Table 12 lists the Chinese companies involved in international trade in shark produce.
The major imported shark products are shark-fins (raw material), frozen sharks (meat), fresh or chilled sharks (meat), sharkskin, shark cartilage powder or its prepared products and live sharks for exhibition in aquariums (very few). Other shark products, such as teeth and liver-oil, are believed to be imported in very small quantities. Prepared shark-fins are the major exported and/or re-exported shark products. Frozen shark and frozen shark products are also exported or re-exported. However, the survey found that there are only small numbers of factories engaged in processing sharkskins and skin derived products for re-exports and these are overseas investments or joint ventures. Although the volume of sharkskin exports is still very low, it is believed that this will rise as the requirement for the more integrated use of sharks increases at national and international levels. Up-graded management and formation of a marketing plan would promote this trend.
Table 4 Chinese imports and exports of fresh or chilled dogfish and other shark by country 1996-1998
|
Year |
Country |
Imports |
Exports |
||
|
Kilograms |
Value in US$ |
Kilograms |
Value in US$ |
||
|
1996 |
Total |
30 208 |
251 605 |
0 |
0 |
|
Singapore |
30 208 |
251 605 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
1997 |
Total |
214 367 |
1 359 150 |
0 |
0 |
|
Singapore |
136 351 |
942 274 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Spain |
78 016 |
416 876 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
1998 |
Total |
69 500 |
623 604 |
0 |
0 |
|
Singapore |
1 625 |
73 125 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Thailand |
96 |
2 062 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Spain |
67 779 |
548 417 |
0 |
0 |
|
Table 5 Chinese imports and exports of frozen dogfish and other sharks by country 1996-1998
|
Year |
Country |
Imports |
Exports |
||
|
Kilograms |
Value in US$ |
Kilograms |
Value in US$ |
||
|
1996 |
Total |
454 993 |
3 124 375 |
83 854 |
4 605 569 |
|
Hong Kong |
0 |
0 |
7 672 |
103 836 |
|
|
Japan |
40 609 |
56 223 |
76 182 |
4 501 733 |
|
|
Singapore |
25 120 |
359 015 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Spain |
389 264 |
2 709 137 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
1997 |
Total |
362 924 |
352 844 |
13 485 |
588 941 |
|
Korea |
150 |
180 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Japan |
362 774 |
352 664 |
13 485 |
588 941 |
|
|
1998 |
Total |
243 490 |
1 757 437 |
41 505 |
2 273 172 |
|
Japan |
143 887 |
1 169 031 |
41 505 |
2 273 172 |
|
|
Singapore |
284 |
85 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Spain |
92 946 |
578 033 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Norway |
6 373 |
10 288 |
0 |
0 |
|
Table 6 Chinese imports and exports of dried shark fin by country 1996-1998
Chinese customs does not have a code for frozen raw shark fins so these are included here
|
Year |
Country |
Imports |
Exports |
|||
|
Kilograms |
Value in US$ |
Kilograms |
Value in US$ |
|||
|
1996 |
Total |
4 362 543 |
24 485 694 |
2 191 750 |
22 443 703 |
|
|
Cambodia |
0 |
0 |
600 |
930 |
||
|
Hong Kong |
124 670 |
818 981 |
2 053 464 |
20 309 609 |
||
|
Indonesia |
69 361 |
338 061 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Japan |
3 101 070 |
18 642 915 |
120 437 |
1 310 868 |
||
|
Macau |
0 |
0 |
2 909 |
34 313 |
||
|
Malaysia |
25 849 |
86 561 |
8 |
2 700 |
||
|
Philippines |
7 923 |
208 015 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Singapore |
348 485 |
1 526 450 |
13 642 |
725 962 |
||
|
Korea Rep. |
6 379 |
8 248 |
600 |
54 521 |
||
|
Thailand |
28 715 |
91 800 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Vietnam |
44 783 |
475 987 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Taiwan POC |
60 422 |
203 957 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Guinea |
2 163 |
2 795 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
South Africa |
91 672 |
329 679 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Spain |
424 051 |
1 608 828 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Brazil |
780 |
1 009 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Costa Rica |
6 885 |
39 729 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Panama |
437 |
4 812 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
United States |
17 237 |
87 090 |
90 |
4 800 |
||
|
Others |
1 661 |
10 777 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
1997 |
Total |
4 388 801 |
24 794 029 |
2 420 488 |
32 654 143 |
|
|
Hong Kong |
58 864 |
835 695 |
2 242 181 |
29 077 238 |
||
|
Indonesia |
60 135 |
258 666 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Japan |
2 829 415 |
17 737 641 |
147 904 |
2 812 114 |
||
|
Macau |
1 972 |
20 371 |
3 081 |
61 515 |
||
|
Malaysia |
0 |
0 |
11 056 |
80 676 |
||
|
Philippines |
6 553 |
169 242 |
12 |
30 |
||
|
Singapore |
389 339 |
1 493 785 |
12 897 |
567 236 |
||
|
Republic of Korea |
0 |
0 |
800 |
6 619 |
||
|
Thailand |
6 656 |
30 315 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
U Arab Emirates |
5 329 |
27 548 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Vietnam |
48 707 |
503 367 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Taiwan POC |
41 592 |
154 887 |
205 |
2 329 |
||
|
Kenya |
555 |
4 916 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
South Africa |
17 400 |
112 793 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
UK |
11 604 |
47 666 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
France |
0 |
0 |
133 |
10 421 |
||
|
Spain |
833 938 |
3 173 081 |
376 |
7 395 |
||
|
Iceland |
95 |
127 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Brazil |
1 736 |
2 243 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Costa Rica |
12 072 |
54 571 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Ecuador |
10 000 |
2 006 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Panama |
160 |
1 760 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Uruguay |
9 374 |
1 881 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
United States |
1 332 |
7 465 |
1 843 |
28 570 |
||
|
Australia |
2 267 |
10 249 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Others |
39 706 |
143 754 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
1998 |
Total |
4 236 377 |
24 749 924 |
2 005 481 |
31 742 017 |
|
|
Burma |
120 |
578 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Hong Kong |
46 435 |
246 196 |
1 930 412 |
30 550 920 |
||
|
Indonesia |
67 905 |
288 500 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Japan |
2 697 768 |
18 603 993 |
51 001 |
697 223 |
||
|
Macau |
0 |
0 |
922 |
19 862 |
||
|
Philippines |
2 010 |
51 894 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Singapore |
297 068 |
1 275 919 |
21 942 |
431 281 |
||
|
Thailand |
9 |
221 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Vietnam |
24 681 |
237 716 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Madagascar |
428 |
17 120 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
France |
0 |
0 |
238 |
20 888 |
||
|
Spain |
1 041 627 |
3 850 246 |
323 |
10 336 |
||
|
Norway |
24 047 |
77 572 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Brazil |
1 282 |
11 541 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Costa Rica |
18 980 |
33 930 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Ecuador |
6 488 |
976 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Peru |
3 437 |
15 531 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
United States |
1 906 |
22 344 |
629 |
10 852 |
||
|
Australia |
8 |
35 |
14 |
655 |
||
|
Fiji |
2 178 |
15 612 |
0 |
0 |
||
The figures in Table 4, Table 5 and Table 6 only give a generalised picture of China’s trade in shark products. The Customs Service of the People’s Republic of China has adopted the Harmonised System (HS) code for trade monitoring, controlling and record-keeping. Among thousands of codes there are only three specifically used for sharks and their products:
03026500 - Dogfish and other shark, fresh or chilled. (These are fresh if the value of the ninth digit is 1 and chilled if it is 9.)
03037500 - Dogfish and other sharks, frozen
03055920 - Dried shark fins
Table 7 Tariffs levied on shark products in China 1996-1999
|
Year |
HS code |
Reciprocal tariff (%) |
General tariff (%) |
Added tariff (VAT)(%) |
|
1996-1997 |
03026500 1 |
30 |
40 |
13 |
|
03026500.9 |
30 |
40 |
17 |
|
|
03037500 |
30 |
40 |
17 |
|
|
03055920 |
55 |
80 |
17 |
|
|
1997-1998 |
03026500 1 |
30 |
40 |
13 |
|
03026500.9 |
30 |
40 |
17 |
|
|
03037500 |
30 |
40 |
17 |
|
|
03055920 |
55 |
80 |
17 |
|
|
1998-1999 |
03026500 1 |
15 |
40 |
13 |
|
03026500.9 |
15 |
40 |
17 |
|
|
03037500 |
15 |
40 |
17 |
|
|
03055920 |
30 |
80 |
17 |
Other shark-related products are included in the following codes, which are not specifically used for sharks:
01060029 - Other edible live animals
01060090 - Other live animals
41039090 - Other raw leather
41079000 - Other animal’s leather
Even the three codes that are specifically used for shark products are not itemised by species. In 1998 the Chinese government managed records of the import and export of all sharks and their products according to the relevant CITES decisions and recommendations[159]. The Shark Management Authority gave us some data for 1998 related to specific shark species. Due to lack of experience and problems with species identification this can only be used for reference, so that we can make a cursory review of shark species traded. See Table 8and Table 9.
Table 8 Commonly imported shark species
|
Scientific Name |
English Name |
Product |
Country of origin |
Imported from |
Location of company |
|
Sphyrna lewini |
Scalloped hammerhead |
Shark fin |
Spain |
|
Fujian |
|
Prionace glauca |
Blue shark |
Sharkskin |
|
Japan |
Fujian |
|
Prionace glauca |
Blue shark |
Sharkskin |
|
Hong Kong |
Fujian |
|
Squalus acanthias |
Spiny dogfish |
Shark fin |
|
Japan |
Shandong |
|
Prionace glauca |
Blue shark |
Shark fin |
Indonesia, Peru |
Indonesia, Peru |
Guangdong |
|
Carcharhinidae |
Requiem sharks |
Shark fin |
Japan |
Japan |
Shandong |
|
Carcharhinidae |
Requiem sharks |
Shark fin |
Singapore |
Singapore |
Shandong |
|
Carcharhinidae |
Requiem sharks |
Shark fin |
Spain |
Spain |
Shandong |
Table 9 Commonly (re)exported shark species
|
Scientific Name |
English Name |
Product |
Country of Origin |
Re-exported to |
Location of company |
|
Sphyrna lewini |
Scalloped hammerhead |
Shark fin |
Spain |
|
Fujian |
|
Prionace glauca |
Blue shark |
Shark fin |
Indonesia, Peru |
|
Guangdong |
|
Prionace glauca |
Blue shark |
Shark fin |
|
Japan |
Beijing |
|
Isurus oxyrinchus |
Shortfin mako |
Shark fin |
|
Japan |
Beijing |
|
Squalus acanthias |
Spiny dogfish |
Shark fin |
|
Japan |
Shandong |
|
Squalus acanthias |
Spiny dogfish |
Shark fin |
|
Hong Kong |
Shandong |
|
Carcharhinidae |
Requiem sharks |
Shark fin |
Spain |
Spain |
Shandong |
|
Carcharhinidae |
Requiem sharks |
Shark fin |
Japan |
Japan |
Shandong |
|
Carcharhinidae |
Requiem sharks |
Shark fin |
Japan |
Spain |
Shandong |
|
Carcharhinidae |
Requiem sharks |
Shark fin |
Singapore |
Singapore |
Shandong |
|
Carcharhinidae |
Requiem sharks |
Shark fin |
Singapore |
Spain |
Shandong |
According to data collected by the Shark Management Authorities in 1998, almost all shark products are imported; only a small proportion being account for by local sharks. The countries of origin include Spain, some coastal countries in Southern Africa, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong, special administrative region of China. The destinations of re-exports include Japan, Spain, Singapore and Hong Kong. As significant difficulties arose in the collection of this data, with problems of management, statistical methods and check-back mechanisms, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. To avoid misleading, we have contacted some traders directly to verify or correct certain points and hope to reflect the actual situation as closely as possible.
It is impossible for us to give species-related trading data for all shark products because of these limitations but the data related to code 03055920 - Dried shark fin - can be used as an indicator to review shark trading. The total volume of shark fins imported in 1997 and 1998 were 4 388 801kg and 4 236 377kg respectively. The exports for these two years were 2 420 488kg and 2 005 481kg, so both imports and exports of dried shark fin fell. This may have been caused by the ongoing Asian economic crisis. In view of the difference in volume between imports and exports of shark fins in 1997 and 1998 and the weight loss which arises when shark fins are processed from raw materials to prepared products, we may conclude that the volume of imported shark fins for internal consumption is not significant. Domestic shark production that may be exported as shark fin products is also insignificant.
Twenty-seven Chinese aquariums were approached regarding imports of live sharks. It was found that only a small number of shark species and individuals have been imported for exhibition in Chinese aquariums. Specific data is provided in Table 10 and Table 11 for reference.
Table 10 Exhibition sharks available in Chinese aquariums
|
Name of Aquarium |
Telephone Number |
Sharks imported |
|
Aquarium, Nine-dragon Amusement Park, Beijing |
010-60713399 |
Yes, not specific |
|
Aquatic Products Museum, Beijing Agricultural Exhibition Hall |
010-65024428 |
No |
|
Beijing Worker Palaestra Fuguo Sea-world, Beijing |
010-65913397 |
Yes, not specific |
|
Hydrophilic Creatures Exhibition, Beijing Nature Museum, Beijing |
010-67024431-3076 |
Yes |
|
Beijing Pacific Sea-world, Beijing |
010-68461173 |
Yes |
|
Guangzhou Oceanic Museum, Guangdong |
020-87611884 |
Yes |
|
Nanjing Sea-world, Jiangsu |
025-4441119- |
Yes, not specific |
|
New World Aquatic Animal Park, Wuhan, Hubei |
027-85877339 |
No |
|
White-fin Dolphin Exhibition Hall, Wuhan Hydrophilic Creatures Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences |
027-87800371 |
No |
|
Xian Aquatic Animals Palace, Shaanxi |
029-2223510 |
Yes, not specific |
|
Beidaihe Rare and Precious Aquatic Animal Hall, Hebei |
0335-4041230 |
Shut down |
|
Shanhaiguan Oceanic Aquatic Animal Museum, Hebei |
0335-5052000 |
Yes, not specific |
|
Xingao Sea-world of Qinghuangdao, Hebei |
0335-8065699 |
Yes |
|
Dalian Blue-Sea Hilly Village Aquarium, Liaoning |
0411-7600266-- |
not connected |
|
Underwater World of Tiger-beech Paradise, Dalian, Liaoning |
0411-2684217 |
Yes, not specific |
|
Sun-Asia Ocean World, Dalian, Liaoning |
0411-4685216 |
Yes |
|
Yunlong Lake Aquatic World, Xuzhou, Jiangsu |
0516-5715624 |
Not connected |
|
Orential Aquatic Animals World, Wuxi, Jiangsu |
0518-5801424 |
No |
|
Lingyan Temple Aquatic Insects Museum, Changqing, Shandong |
0531-7463169 |
Not connected |
|
Aquatic Animal Building of Oceanic Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong |
- |
No |
|
Qingdao Ocean Product Museum, Shangdong |
0532-2864949 |
Yes |
|
Yangmadao Ocean World, Yantai, Shangdong |
- |
not connected |
|
Zuohai Aquarium, Fujian |
0591-7850178 |
Yes |
|
Xiamen Sea-world, Fujian |
0592-2067825 |
Yes |
|
Beihai Aquatic Products Museum, Guangxi |
0779-2062089 |
Yes |
|
Kungming Aquarium |
0871-5145684 |
not connected |
|
Skyline Tropical Ocean Zoo, Sanya, Hainan |
0899-8910128 |
not connected |
Table 11 The origin of exhibition sharks in Chinese aquariums
|
Scientific Name |
English Name |
Number of sharks |
Source |
|
Carcharhinus melanopterus |
Blackfin shark |
15 |
South China Sea |
|
Chiloscyllium plagiosum |
White-spotted catshark |
19 |
North China sea area, South China Sea, 5 imported from Hong Kong |
|
Chiloscyllium griseum |
Blackband cat shark |
9 |
South China Sea |
|
Ginglymostoma cirratum |
Nurse shark |
20 |
South China Sea |
|
Ginglymostoma ferrugineum |
Rusty Shark |
6 |
South China Sea, 3 imported from United States |
|
Nebrius macrurus |
Large tail shark |
5 |
South China Sea |
|
Negaprion queenslandicus |
Queensland Lemon Shark |
3 |
Imported from HK SAR |
|
Orectolobus japonicus |
Japanese carpet shark |
8 |
South China Sea |
|
Stegostoma fasciatum |
Zebra Shark |
10 |
South China Sea, 2 imported from Hong Kong |
|
Triaenodon obesus |
Blunthead shark |
7 |
South China Sea |
|
Triakis scyllium |
Banded gummy shark |
167 |
North China sea area |
|
Triakis venusta |
Spotted smooth dogfish |
7 |
North China sea area |
|
Total |
276 |
|
|
The conclusion is that few live sharks are used for exhibition or public education programmes in Chinese aquariums. Although some aquariums have not been contacted and the above figure may not be exact, we believe that this does reflect the current situation of trade in live sharks.
|
[159] CITES Decision 10.48
- Regarding the biological and trade status of sharks (To Parties) CITES
Decision 10.73/74 - Regarding the biological and trade status of sharks (To
Animal Committee) CITES Decision 10.93 - Regarding the biological and trade
status of sharks (To FAO) CITES Decision 10.126 - Regarding the biological and
trade status of sharks (To Secretariat) |
