A shipment of 40 shark fins was found aboard a private jet after it landed at a California airport in February, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Tuesday.
Authorities tracked the plane after receiving a tip that it was transporting the illegal cargo from Hawaii, officials said. Upon landing, officials questioned the people aboard the plane, who allegedly admitted to possessing the shark fins and agreed to a search.
Inside the jet, authorities found dried and frozen shark fins. In 2011, California passed Assembly Bill 376, which made it illegal to possess, sell, offer for sale, trade or distribute shark fin. Possessing a shark fin detached from a shark is now illegal throughout the United States and in much of the world.
Authorities seized a shipment of shark fins found aboard a private jet arriving at a California airport in February of 2026. (CDFW)
Authorities seized a shipment of shark fins found aboard a private jet arriving at a California airport in February of 2026. (CDFW)
Authorities seized a shipment of shark fins found aboard a private jet arriving at a California airport in February of 2026. (CDFW)
“The practice of harvesting sharks solely for their fins is a cruel and destructive act,” the CDFW said. “After their fins are removed, sharks are released back into the ocean where they slowly die, often by drowning, as most species must swim continuously to pass water over their gills. Beyond the inherent cruelty, shark finning devastates vital ocean ecosystems. Sharks are apex predators that help maintain the balance of marine life, and their loss disrupts global ecosystems that we all depend on.”
The case was filed with a regional district attorney’s office in California. Authorities are still investigating the possibility that the shipment was part of a trafficking network.
Officials seize 50,000 shark fins disguised as car parts at U.S. ports
“CDFW takes protecting our oceans seriously and is constantly watching for illegally traded wildlife parts, such as shark fins, to make entry to California,” the CDFW said.
In October of 2025, inspectors with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seized roughly 50,000 dried shark fins at ports across the U.S
The CDFW encourages the public to report any businesses selling shark fin or restaurants with shark fin on the menu.
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