Shark finning - removing shark fins at sea and discarding the body - causes extreme suffering and drives the rapid decline of shark populations globally.
Finned sharks thrown back into the ocean experience a prolonged death by drowning or predation, unable to swim without their fins. The scale of shark mortality in the fin trade means this suffering is replicated tens of millions of times annually. Beyond individual suffering, the ecological collapse of shark-depleted reef systems harms billions of smaller marine animals dependent on the reef for food and shelter.