Indonesia's troubled shark trade is running out of prey

Export demand is rising, especially for fins, but overfishing is killing supply

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GARRY LOTULUNG

At a pier thrusting into the Indian Ocean from a fishing village in Indonesia's West Nusa Tenggara province, local fishermen are unloading catches for sale in one of Southeast Asia's largest shark food markets.

Working quickly, they cut the fins from the sharks' bodies; most of the meat is smoked and sold in local markets, but the fins are auctioned to traders for export to China, Japan, Thailand and other Asian destinations.

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