Shark finning - removing fins and discarding live sharks at sea - causes intense suffering. Combined with overfishing, shark populations have declined by 70% since 1970.
Finned sharks, unable to swim, sink to the bottom where they drown or are predated while alive. This is a prolonged, painful death. Even sharks killed immediately for their fins experience pain and distress during the kill. Sharks caught on longlines and in nets may be alive for extended periods before landing. Their role as sentient animals capable of experiencing pain means the mass mortality caused by shark fishing is a significant welfare concern as well as a conservation crisis.