Shark Finning: A Barbaric Tradition Pushing Sharks Toward Extinction

Despite growing awareness and increasing international bans, the cruel and unsustainable practice of shark finning continues to drive many shark species toward extinction.

Every Year, 100 Million Sharks Are Killed for Their Fins

That’s approximately the population of Mexico or Japan — or the United Kingdom and Australia combined. These sharks are not only killed, but mutilated in a process so brutal it defies belief. Fishermen slice off the fins and discard the still-living bodies into the ocean, where the sharks die slowly from blood loss, drowning, or predation.

50 Million More Die as Bycatch

Unregulated fishing practices, including longlines, gillnets, and bottom trawls, kill millions more sharks annually as unintentional “bycatch.” These sharks are often still exploited for their fins due to the lucrative black market trade.

The Luxury Soup That’s Destroying the Ocean

Shark fin soup, once a dish of emperors, has found explosive popularity among China’s rising middle class. A single bowl can cost up to $100 and is often featured at weddings, business banquets, and other celebrations — not for taste, but as a symbol of status. In truth, shark meat has little flavor and can contain dangerous levels of mercury.

A Tradition With Catastrophic Costs

Over a quarter of all known shark species are now threatened with extinction. As apex predators, sharks are essential to the health of marine ecosystems. Their disappearance disrupts food chains, harms fisheries, and creates long-term damage to ocean biodiversity and coastal economies.

The Fight for Protection: CITES Isn’t Doing Enough

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has made efforts to regulate the trade, but currently protects only eight shark species — a drop in the ocean compared to those at risk. The time has come to demand stronger, broader protections for all sharks listed as threatened, endangered, or vulnerable.