Two men face charges for killing over 500 sharks for their fins.
Wildlife officials boarded the boat of Hung Anh Tiet and Rick Nguyen near the Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Venice, Louisiana and found sacks containing 2073 shark fins in a hidden compartment, along with 11 whole sharks on the deck.
The individual fins represent a total of 518 sharks, bringing the total number of sharks in their possession to 529.
The two men were arrested for the illegal activity of shark finning and for exceeding the daily commercial catch limit for sharks which is 33 per vessel, placing the two men 496 sharks over their daily limit.
They face fines of more than $26,000/£16,300 and could also be jailed for up to two months.
Both men were being held at the Plaquemines Parish Jail while the investigation continues.
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