Shark Finning and Marine Welfare

Shark finning involves removing shark fins and discarding the living body at sea, causing immense suffering and threatening shark populations globally.

Key Facts

An estimated 73-100 million sharks are killed for their fins annually
Finned sharks are often dumped alive and unable to swim, drowning slowly
Shark fins are primarily used in shark fin soup, a status dish in some Asian cultures
Over 70 shark species are now threatened with extinction largely due to finning
Sharks are slow-reproducing animals who cannot sustain current fishing pressure

Welfare Considerations

Shark finning causes acute and prolonged suffering. Sharks removed from water, finned, and returned to the ocean suffer from blood loss and suffocation as they sink unable to swim. The process is both a welfare catastrophe and an ecological crisis, threatening ecosystems that depend on apex predators. Sharks play critical roles in marine ecosystem health. The combination of welfare harm and ecological destruction makes finning one of the most serious marine conservation and welfare issues.

What You Can Do

Never consume shark fin soup or products containing shark fin
Support bans on shark finning and shark fin trade in your country
Support retailers and restaurants that have pledged to not sell shark fin products
Donate to organizations working to protect sharks and end the fin trade
Advocate for international agreements to end shark finning globally