1,400 pounds of shark fins seized at Miami port

MIAMI – Wildlife inspectors seized 1,400 pounds (635 kilograms) of shark fins at a Miami port, officials said on Monday.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the shipment of dried fins arrived in 18 boxes and was believed to have originated in South America, and likely bound for Asia.

Officials estimated the total commercial value to be between $700,000 and $1 million.

Tens of millions of sharks are killed each year by smugglers who cut the fins from live animals, according to conservation groups. They are often turned into shark fin soup, considered a Chinese delicacy.