On June 22nd 2018, two men were tried in the Xicheng Court, Beijing charged with illegally acquiring and selling four wild finless porpoises in early 2107.
The protected marine mammals were purchased for 100 yuan each (approx £12 UK sterling) from a fishmonger in Shandong. They were subsequently resold to Beijing seafood company owner Duanou, for a small profit. The court imposed a fine of 2,000 yuan (approx £230 UK sterling) and sentenced the two men to a fixed term of six months imprisonment.
Currently, the finless porpoise is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, denoting an ‘unfavourable conservation status’. This latest illegal take of an endangered species is extremely concerning, not only for the individual animals killed but for the future welfare of the population in the area.
