Marine Wildlife

Shark Fin Trade Welfare and Conservation

The shark fin trade drives tens of millions of shark deaths annually, with finning at sea causing immense suffering before sharks drown or bleed to death.

Key Facts

An estimated 73-100 million sharks are killed for their fins each year
Finning involves removing fins while the shark is alive, then discarding the body at sea
Finned sharks cannot swim and die from suffocation or blood loss
Over 100 million sharks are traded annually through Hong Kong alone
Many shark species now face extinction largely due to fin demand

Welfare Considerations

Shark finning is among the cruellest practices in commercial fishing. Sharks are sentient animals capable of pain and stress responses. Finned sharks experience the trauma of capture, the pain of fin removal, and then prolonged dying as they sink to the ocean floor unable to swim. The practice is both a severe welfare issue and a major driver of ecosystem collapse.

What You Can Do

Avoid consuming shark fin soup or products
Support organisations campaigning for shark fin trade bans
Advocate for stronger international shark finning regulations
Choose sustainably certified seafood
Support marine protected areas that protect shark habitat