Shark finning — removing fins while alive and discarding the shark at sea — causes extreme suffering and threatens shark population viability.
Finned sharks thrown back alive suffocate slowly over hours as they cannot maintain the water flow through their gills needed to breathe. The process is extremely painful and distressing. Sharks brought aboard and killed for fins experience the acute stress of capture and suffocation. Population declines from finning remove apex predators, cascading through entire marine ecosystems. Shark welfare and ecosystem health are directly linked through the finning trade.