July 5, 2018 — The small US shark fishing industry, which sells fins and meat to China, could be shut out of that market due to increased tariffs, the New York Times reported.
The Chinese government is set to soon impose 25% tariffs on a wide range of US seafood exports in retaliation for tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration including on shark fins and canned and preserved fins.
These tariffs could shut out US shark harvesters out of their main market and drive Chinese buyers elsewhere.
“My sense is that’s going to decrease demand for sustainably fished U.S. shark fins, and increase demand from countries with less sustainable fisheries,” said Shaun Gehan, an attorney for Sustainable Shark Alliance, which represents shark fishermen and dealers. “It’ll just be a hardship for the small fish houses and the fishermen that participate in this fishery.”