Is shark finning illegal

Shark finning laws worldwide
Where is shark finning legal
How many countries have banned shark finning

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Smithsonian Ocean

Sharks have been feared hunters ever since people first observed them swimming in the vast ocean. Yet today, sharks are declining rapidly on a global scale because humans have replaced them as the ocean's top predators. One way that humans hunt sharks is by using a practice called shark finning. This is the process of slicing off a shark’s fin and discarding the rest of the still-living body, often by dumping it back into the ocean.

Shark fins are tempting targets for fishermen because they have high monetary and cultural value. They are used in a popular dish called shark fin soup, which is a symbol of status in Chinese culture. In the past, Chinese Emperors favored the soup as a dish that honored guests because it was thought to have medicinal benefits and represented a victory against powerful sharks. This popularity has not faded with time and has even expanded with China's growing population. Today shark fin soup is still prevalent and has become a staple for more than just emperors on special occasions. As a result, fishermen have a large incentive to gat

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Shark finning

Harvesting of fins from live sharks

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2022)

Shark finning is the act of removing fins from sharks and discarding the rest of the shark back into the ocean. This act is prohibited in many countries.^[1] The sharks are often still alive when discarded, but without their fins.^[2]^[3]^[4] Unable to swim effectively, they sink to the bottom of the ocean and die of suffocation or are eaten by other predators. Shark finning at sea enables fishing vessels to increase profitability and increase the number of sharks harvested, as they must only store and transport the fins, by far the most profitable part of the shark; the shark meat is bulky to transport.^[5] Many countries have banned this practice and require the whole shark to be brought back to port before removing the fins.

Shark finning increased since 1997 largely due to the increasing demand for shark fins for shark f

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As one of the top ocean predators, sharks play an important role in the food web and help ensure balance in the ocean’s ecosystem. With increased demand and exploitation rates for some shark species and shark products, concern has steadily grown regarding the status of many shark stocks and their exploitation in global fisheries.

Relative to other marine fish, sharks are characterized by relatively slow growth, late sexual maturity, and a small number of young per brood. These biological factors make many shark species vulnerable to overfishing. Sharks are captured in directed fisheries and also as bycatch in other non-directed fisheries. Many shark species have been over-exploited because their fins are highly valued for shark fin soup. Globally, there is a general lack of data reporting on the catch of sharks, particularly species-specific data. For these reasons, sharks present many challenges for fisheries conservation and management.

NOAA Fisheries Role in Shark Conservation

Despite these challenges, we are committed to sustainable shark management. We manage commerci