Sharks are critically important ocean predators facing severe population declines from finning, targeted fishing, and bycatch, with individual welfare concerns from the cruelty of shark finning.
Shark finning is one of the most egregious practices in contemporary fisheries from a welfare perspective. Sharks have their fins cut off while alive and are returned to the water alive but unable to swim, sinking and drowning or dying from blood loss. They are conscious and capable of suffering during this process. The practice persists because fins are worth more than the rest of the shark and storage space on vessels is limited. Fin-attached regulations requiring sharks to be landed whole are effective but require enforcement. Bycatch in longlines and trawls results in sharks drowning in gear or suffering during discard. Sharks caught on recreational gear and released may survive if handled correctly with minimal air exposure.