Blue sharks are the most heavily finned shark species globally. Their welfare in longline fisheries and the shark fin trade involves enormous numbers of animals suffering.
Shark finning inflicts severe suffering: fins are cut from living sharks that are then thrown back into the water, unable to swim, where they drown or are eaten alive. Even where finning is illegal, blue sharks caught as longline bycatch frequently die slowly of exhaustion and injury over many hours on the line. Blue sharks are obligate ram ventilators — they must swim to breathe — meaning any restraint causes oxygen deprivation. On-deck handling is also stressful and injurious. The sheer scale of blue shark mortality makes this one of the most significant marine animal welfare issues.