Container Holding 109 Sacks of Shark Fins Seized at Manzanillo Port
COLON, August 17, 2026 – A container holding 109 sacks of shark fins, routed from Panama to Malaysia, was retained at the Port of Manzanillo after the cargo was irregularly declared as fish maw to the relevant authorities, the Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama said, according to Metro Libre.
The authority said the operation was detected as part of inspection and investigation work by the Specialised Multidisciplinary Environmental Team, with the participation of the Police Investigation Directorate, in collaboration with ARAP and the Ministry of Environment.
ARAP said specialists would carry out taxonomic identification of the seized product in the coming hours to determine which species are present, and whether they are listed in the appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
If the presence of species protected under that convention is confirmed, their trade would be subject to strict regulations and controls.
Panama maintains a zero quota for any shark species on the CITES list, so extraction, movement and trade in products derived from those species are subject to national provisions and applicable international rules.
The Ministry of Environment is taking part in the inspection, identification and evaluation of the seized product, and is advancing the corresponding administrative actions.
Once those steps are complete the ministry will proceed with administrative sanction proceedings, and the case will also be referred to the Public Ministry specialised environmental crimes prosecutor.
Why it matters
Panama is a transit hub for wildlife trafficking, and a shipment this size tests how the CITES zero quota is enforced in practice.
What happens next
Species identification will determine whether protected sharks are involved, and both administrative and criminal proceedings follow.
