MIAMI _ Federal officials on Monday announced the seizure of about 1,400 shark fins that were hidden in boxes in a ship docked at PortMiami late last month.
The severed fins were mixed in with other "non-protected" and "non-regulated" species in 18 boxes, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in an email. Inspectors found the boxes on Jan. 24.
Shark finning, where the fins are cut off and the rest of the shark's body is discarded, has been illegal under federal law in the United States since 2000.
"The goal of this seizure is to protect these species while deterring trackers from using U.S. ports as viable routes in the illegal shark fin trade," said Christina Meister, a spokeswoman for the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Fish and Wildlife inspectors believe the shipment originated somewhere in South America and was on the way to Asia when it was confiscated in Miami, Meister said.
Demand for shark fins is highest in Asian countries, where they're usually used in soups.
Meister said the commercial value of the fins is $700,000 to $1 million.
No arrests have been made and "further investigation is pending," Meister said.
