Wildlife

Shark Welfare and the Finning Trade

Shark finning, which involves removing fins and discarding live sharks at sea, causes extreme suffering and has devastated shark populations globally.

Key Facts

An estimated 73 million sharks are killed annually primarily for the fin trade
Many countries have banned shark finning but enforcement in international waters is limited
Finned sharks are thrown back alive and die slowly from blood loss and suffocation
Shark populations have declined by over 70% since the 1970s
Sharks play critical roles in marine ecosystem balance affecting other species welfare

Welfare Considerations

Sharks thrown back into the ocean after finning cannot swim and sink to the bottom, dying slowly from oxygen deprivation and blood loss. This represents extreme suffering prolonged over hours. The scale of the shark fin trade means hundreds of millions of individual suffering events annually. Demand reduction and enforcement of finning bans are the most direct welfare interventions.

What You Can Do

Never consume shark fin soup or other shark fin products
Support legislation banning shark fin import and export in your country
Donate to WildAid and other organisations running shark fin demand reduction campaigns
Choose seafood certified sustainable and free from shark bycatch
Support international enforcement of finning bans through diplomatic pressure