The situation was described by the director of INBAC, Albertina Nzunzi, at a press conference that addressed the killing of sharks by Angolan fishermen, allegedly enticed by Chinese citizens to remove fins.
The cases have been observed in the provinces of Luanda and Benguela.
Albertina Nzunzi said that the authorities intend to confiscate high quantities of this product at the international airport, when flights are resumed, after the public complaint made by EcoAngola, an environmental project.
The official said that, since 2016 to date, four people, two nationals and two Asians, whose nationalities were unable to specify, were punished for trafficking in shark fins.
Regarding the complaint of the past few weeks, Albertina Nzunzi said that the teams are still on the ground investigating, but so far no violators have been detected.
According to the director of INBAC, the blue shark is the species that is being decimated, adding that with the suspicions of this environmental crime that was occurring since 2016, investigations were made, but "no one was ever caught fishing".
"Our concern, at this moment, is to intensify this inspection", stressed Albertina Nzunzi, lamenting the light penalties for environmental crimes.
The proposal of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Environment is that the penalties be extended from four to ten years in prison in the Penal Code.
