MSC places embargo on shipments of shark fin & endangered shark products

As part of MSC’s ongoing commitment to preserving the marine environment, the company has placed an embargo on any consignment containing shark fins or other endangered shark-related products, with immediate effect. The World Wildlife Fund has informed us that consumption of shark-related products, which are a culinary delicacy in some countries, is threatening an already endangered species. To this end, they have appealed to all sea and air freight companies to ban all shipments immediately.

MSC is committed to operating a sustainable business. Together with other global ocean carriers, we are a firm supporter of initiatives driven by environmental associations for the protection of marine wildlife across the world. 

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Note: an earlier version of this statement was corrected due to an error in which the word "endangered" was missing from the first sentence. MSC has a ban on consignments of shark fin and of shark-related products from endangered species. However, legally-fished shark meat of non-endangered species is a commonly-consumed seafood in many countries and MSC has not included this in its ban. This position is consistent with other references in MSC communications and consistent with our dialogue with governments on these issues since this statement was first published in 2016.