Shark finning — removing fins and discarding living sharks at sea — is one of the most wasteful and cruel practices in marine fisheries, causing immense suffering and driving population collapse.
Finned sharks experience a drawn-out death: unable to swim, they suffocate or are eaten alive on the seafloor. The suffering is prolonged and measurable by any physiological or behavioural standard. Beyond individual welfare, the ecological role of sharks as apex predators means their loss destabilises marine ecosystems, affecting billions of marine animals. Ending finning is both a welfare and conservation imperative.