Illegally imported shark fins have been discovered on sale at an exclusive London restaurant, after the manager let slip that it still sold shark fin soup in a newspaper interview, reveals The Independent.
A stock of illegally imported fins was been confiscated from the upmarket Royal China Club restaurant and destroyed by trading standards after an investigation by Westminster City Council.
The West End restaurant, where a typical lunch costs around £70 a head, came under scrutiny after its marketing manager Jason Chan admitted it was selling shark fin soup during an interview with The Independent in January.
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According to Chan, ingredients were sometimes brought through airport customs in suitcases because "if they were sent over, they'd get confiscated". This prompted complaints to the local council by the marine conservation charity Bite-Back, and the resulting investigation found that shark fins were actually being sent by post from Hong Kong in contravention of UK import law.
Chan boasted that Royal China Club offered a range of rare off-menu items including abalone and sea cucumber. He said an increasing demand for exotic items was being fuelled by wealthy Chinese tourists, who were willing to part with up to £2,800 a head for exclusive set menu meals.
A spokesman for Bite-Back, said: "The parallels between the trade in ivory and shark fins are huge and the fact that the Royal China Club has now been caught illegally importing fins to the UK is a further evidence of the corrupt industry behind this controversial menu item."
A council officer said: "The council undertook an investigation and discovered that they imported the produce through an unapproved channel and as such we have taken appropriate action against the restaurant."
According to the World Wildlife Fund, over 73m sharks are killed each year due to the growing demand for fins in Asia.
