Marine Animal Welfare

Shark Welfare Commercial Fisheries

Welfare concerns for sharks in commercial fisheries, including capture stress, discarding, and finning practices.

Key Facts

Millions of sharks are caught as bycatch in commercial fisheries annually
Capture by longline or trawl causes acute stress and injury to sharks
Shark finning - removing fins at sea and discarding live bodies - is now banned in EU waters
Many shark species are slow to recover from population depletion due to late maturity
Catch-and-release in recreational shark fishing causes significant welfare concerns

Welfare Considerations

Shark welfare in commercial and recreational fisheries receives little attention despite mounting evidence of fish sentience. Sharks captured by longline or trawl experience acute stress and often die before or during handling. Finning practices that remove fins from living sharks cause prolonged suffering. Better bycatch avoidance, humane handling, and bans on live finning are the priority welfare interventions.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns against shark finning and for stronger bycatch reduction
Avoid products containing shark fin or shark liver oil
Advocate for shark welfare to be included in fisheries management frameworks