The Shark Fin Hunters
An environmental prosecutor in Peru tries to disrupt the illegal trade of shark fins that’s harming the world’s oceans.
Every year, more than 70 million sharks are harvested worldwide for their fins. They are considered a delicacy in Asia and used to make shark fin soup, which has been a status symbol for thousands of years. Now, the trade is threatening a species that is vital to the health of the world’s oceans. Peru has emerged as one of the leading exporters of shark fins, with illegal shipments coming across the porous border with Ecuador.
In this documentary, we follow one woman who is fighting back against the illegal trade of shark fins, Evelyn LaMadrid. She is an environmental prosecutor in northern Peru and has granted Fault Lines exclusive access to embed with her team as she investigates the traffickers moving the product through the country. We travel to the coast of Ecuador, which is experiencing tremendous cartel violence, to document the killing of sharks and the harvesting of their fins. We also go undercover in New York to investigate the serious allegations that shark fins are illegally shipped to the United States.
This episode will take viewers deep into the world of wildlife trafficking with enormous stakes for the future of the planet.