Around 2,000 sharks have been slaughtered for their fins in a Pacific Ocean marine sanctuary off Colombia.
Hammerhead, Galápagos and whale sharks carcasses were discovered by divers in the waters of the Malpelo preserve.
Fishing trawlers were spotted flying the Costa Rican flag, entering the zone illegally, said Sandra Bessudo, a marine biologist who is the top environmental adviser to President Juan Manuel Santos.
"When the divers dove, they started finding a large number of animals without their fins. They didn't see any alive," she said. Video shot by one diver shows the bodies of dead sharks on the ocean floor.
Costa Rica's Foreign Ministry said that it "energetically condemns" the reported finning and that Costa Rican-flagged ships would be prosecuted if they were involved.
Shark fin soup is a popular traditional and expensive Chinese delicacy.
Interestingly enough, California banned the possession, sale and distribution of imported shark fins beginning in 2013.
There are some Chinese that are calling the law racist.
