Shark finning is the practice of catching a live shark, slicing off its fins and then dumping the still-living shark back into the ocean where it drowns, bleeds to death or is consumed by other predators.
Shark finning is largely illegal, and due to inadequate enforcement, it is still happening in many parts of the world. Fishing fleets routinely exploit loopholes or ignore regulations altogether, and corrupt authorities often turn a blind eye.
Shark finning occurs worldwide and not just in the high seas. Even protected areas such as the Galapagos, Revillagigedo Islands, Cocos Islands, and the Marshall Islands, are targeted by illegal fisheries.
Shark Fin Soup
Why does shark finning occur? Fins are the most profitable part of a shark, and provide the primary ingredient for an Asian delicacy known as shark fin soup.
Shark fin soup is considered to be a luxury that originated centuries ago in China during the Song Dynasty. Originally served to Chinese royalty, shark fin soup was (and remains to this day) a symbol of power, wealth and prosperity. One bowl can cost as much as $100.
While shark fins give the soup its gelatinous texture, they are flavorless, requiring chicken or fish broth to give the soup flavor. Shark fins were believed to boost sexual potency, increase qi (energy), prevent heart disease and cancer and lower cholesterol. However, no medical evidence exists to support these claims.
In fact, shark fins and shark meat contain high concentrations of BMAA (beta-Methylamino-l-alanine), a neurotoxin which causes degenerative brain diseases and methyl-mercury, high levels of which high levels can cause neurological damage.
Demand for shark fin soup has fueled the multi-million dollar shark fin industry and is responsible for many of the estimated 100 million sharks killed every year.
Shark Fin Trade Around The World
Hong Kong, along with Malaysia, Singapore and China account for 90% of global shark fin imports.[1] Other major suppliers of shark fins include: Indonesia, Spain, India, Mexico, the United States, Argentina, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brazil. More than 100 countries around the world are involved in the shark fin trade.
A study published in 2017 analyzing fins in Hong Kong markets identified samples of 71 different species of sharks, one-third of which were listed in Threatened categories by the IUCN.[2] Though consumption of shark fin soup has fallen by about 80% in China, there is an alarming rise in consumption in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Macau.[3]
Shark meat can be masked by many different names, including ocean fish, white fish, flake, gray fish, taupe, and moki. In Brazil, shark meat is often labeled as “cação”, available in markets as well as restaurants, as stakes and filets.[6] In a 2022 study published by Frontiers in Marine Science, shark DNA (including that of endangered species such as blue and silky sharks) was found in one-third of the 144 pet food samples tested.[7] When purchasing pet foods with seafood flavors, be sure to check the ingredients for words possibly disguising shark meat.
While Covid-19 took its toll on world economies, the shark fin trade was flourishing. In May 2020, customs officials in Hong Kong made the biggest shark fin seizure in the region’s history: 26 tons of fins, held in two shipping containers from Ecuador, cut from the bodies of 38,500 endangered sharks and worth about $8.6 million in total.[4] In Indonesia, many people who had lost work due to the pandemic have returned to the shark fin industry.[5]
As of 2024, Latin America has become the largest consumer of shark meat exported from Asian countries.[8]
Ecological Impact
Sharks have inhabited the oceans for over 400 million years.
Today, they are being removed from the ocean at a rate 30% faster than they are able to reproduce, threatening 25% of shark species with extinction. This accounts for approximately one-third of sharks (and rays) in our oceans.[9]
Beyond the immediate cruelty and sustainability concerns, shark finning has broader ecological implications. As apex predators, sharks play a crucial role in maintaining the health of marine ecosystems. Their removal can lead to trophic cascades, where the absence of sharks disrupts the balance of marine life, affecting other species and the overall health of the ocean.
In today’s world, where we are so focused on mitigating climate change and slowing global warming, sharks are more important than ever. This keystone species helps to remove approximately half of the world’s manufactured carbon from the atmosphere by means of nutrient cycling every year.[10]
No one needs a shark fin except for a shark.
Stop Shark Finning
There are many countries around the world that have enacted shark conservation measures with full or partial bans on the practice of shark finning and shark fishing. In 2022, the US Congress passed the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, which was intended to remove the United States from the global shark fin trade.[11] Unfortunately, in spite of this legislation, sharks are still largely unprotected and in many cases this is due to loopholes in shark conservation laws.
However, states such as California, Texas, Maryland, and Florida have placed limits or bans on shark fin trade within their borders.[11] The state of Hawai’i passed Act 51 (House Bill 553) in 2021 which made it illegal to knowingly capture, entangle, or kill a shark in state marine waters. The new law applies to all shark species found in Hawaiian waters.[12]
You can help stop shark finning by showing your support to US Congress. See how Shark Angels is working to stop shark finning in the United States: Use your voice and show your support here.
Article written by Candace Drabeck
[1] Xiang, Yap Wan. “Malaysia Is The World’s Second Largest Shark Fin Importer Outranking Singapore And China.” SAYS, September 18, 2019. https://says.com/my/news/after-hong-kong-malaysia-is-world-biggest-importer-of-shark-fin.
[2] Fields, Andrew T., Gunter A. Fischer, Stanley K. H. Shea, Huarong Zhang, Debra L. Abercrombie, Kevin A. Feldheim, Elizabeth A. Babcock, and Demian D. Chapman. “Species Composition of the International Shark Fin Trade Assessed through a Retail‐Market Survey in Hong Kong.” Society for Conservation Biology. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, December 15, 2017. https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cobi.13043.
[3] Hermesauto, “Even as China Says No to Shark Fin Soup, Dish Gaining Popularity Elsewhere in Asia,” The Straits Times (Washington Post, February 15, 2018), https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/even-as-china-says-no-to-shark-fin-soup-dish-gaining-popularity-elsewhere-in-asia.
[4] Hong Kong customs and Excise department – Press release. (2010, June 18). Retrieved February 26, 2021, from https://www.customs.gov.hk/en/publication_press/press/index_id_2906.html
[5] McDonald, J. (2020, September 06). Why is the SHARK-FIN trade buoyant even as COVID-19 Sinks economy? Retrieved February 26, 2021, from https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3100326/why-shark-fin-trade-buoyant-while-covid-19-sinks-global-economy
[6] Maron, D.F. (2023, July 17). Shark meat is a global phenomenon—but not everyone knows they’re eating it. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/how-shark-meat-became-a-global-phenomenon (Retrieved August 1, 2024).
[7] Osborne, M. (2022, March 7). Endangered Shark Meat Might Be Hiding in Your Pet’s Food. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/endangered-shark-meat-might-be-hiding-in-your-pets-food-180979682/(Retrieved August 1, 2024).
[8] International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). (2024, July 9). New report spotlights Latin America and Caribbean’s role in shark trade. https://www.ifaw.org/press-releases/report-latin-america-caribbean-role-shark-trade (Retrieved August 1, 2024).
[9] CNN Impact Your World. (2024, July 1). Several shark species are facing extinction. Here’s how you can help. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/11/us/how-to-help-sharks-shark-week-iyw/index.html (Retrieved August 1, 2024).
[10] Oceans Research. (2021, Sept. 20). Why Do We Need Sharks for Our Ecosystem? https://www.oceans-research.com/why-do-we-need-sharks-for-our-ecosystem/ (Retrieved August 1, 2024).
[11] The Humane Society. (n.d.). The shark fin trade: The cruelest cuts. The Humane Society of the United States. https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/shark-fin-trade-cruelest-cuts (Retrieved August 1, 2024).
[12] State of Hawai’I Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR). (n.d.). Shark Fishing Ban Goes Into Effect January 1. https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/announcements/shark-fishing-ban-goes-into-effect-january-1/#:~:text=A%20bill%20passed%20by%20the,species%20found%20in%20Hawaiian%20waters. (Retrieved August 1, 2024).