Marine Animals

Thresher Shark Welfare: Bycatch Suffering and the Fight for Protection

Thresher sharks use their distinctive long tails to stun prey, but this same tail makes them vulnerable to entanglement in gillnets and longlines, causing serious welfare harms.

Key Facts

Thresher sharks have tails nearly as long as their bodies, used to whip and stun fish
All three thresher species are listed as Vulnerable or Endangered by the IUCN
Threshers are targeted for their fins, meat, and liver oil in many parts of Asia
Gillnet entanglement causes injuries and slow suffocation for thresher sharks
Live release survival rates for hooked threshers are lower than for many other shark species

Welfare Considerations

Gillnet entanglement causes progressive hypoxia as sharks, which must keep moving to breathe, are immobilised. Death can take hours. Longline capture causes stress, physical injury, and lactic acidosis. Their long tails make extraction from gear particularly damaging. Targeted finning causes the same welfare harms as with other shark species. Conservation listing has not yet translated into effective protection in most fishing nations.

What You Can Do

Avoid shark fin and shark meat products
Support gillnet regulations and seasonal closures in thresher habitat
Back international management measures through CITES and regional fisheries bodies
Donate to shark conservation organisations that document bycatch and advocate for reform