Shark finning removes fins from live sharks, which are then discarded at sea to drown, representing a severe welfare crisis affecting tens of millions of sharks annually.
Finning sharks experience acute trauma from the removal of multiple fins while conscious. Sharks returned to the ocean without fins cannot maintain their swimming posture or move water over their gills, causing suffocation. The process may take hours. The welfare harm is compounded by the conservation crisis: shark population collapses affect entire ocean ecosystem food webs. The product driving this suffering — shark fin soup — provides minimal nutritional benefit and is primarily valued for its texture.