Consumers are largely unaware of the origins of shark fin. Studies in Hong Kong and Taiwan show that consumers have little understanding of where shark fin soup comes from, of overfishing, of illegal shark fishing or of the practice of finning.

Shark Fin Trade in Hong Kong

Where figures exist, they suggest that Hong Kong is the world's shark fin trading centre, accounting for an estimated 50% of all fins traded worldwide.

Much of the shark fin trade is illegal and involves organized crime.

Shark finning has become a multi-million dollar industry, with probably a good percentage of it illegal. Much of the shark fin trade also involves organized crime, often trading in shark fins as a way to launder drug money. (Report of the U.N. Secretary-General (2002), p. 6; Report of the U.N. Secretary-General (2003) p. 11; Kazmar, “The International Illegal Plant and Wildlife Trade”; and Cook, Roberts, and Lowther, The International Wildlife Trade and Organised Crime, p. 15.)

What is Shark Finning?

Why is this happening?

Finning occurs worldwide and is most common in high seas fisheries, hundreds of miles out to sea. Oceanic fishing fleets target valuable fish such as tuna, using thousands of baited hooks on miles of long-line, and freezing their catch onboard. Unfortunately, long-liners often catch several times more sharks than they do tuna. Until relatively recently, this shark 'bycatch' was considered a nuisance, and sharks were cut loose and allowed to swim away. However, as shark fins have become increasingly valuable, sharks are now finned while alive and then, the live shark is thrown back into the water to drown or bleed to death.

Is Finning Legal?

Poaching goes on in national waters, in off-limits preserves, and in the largely un-policed international seas. Countries such as Ecuador and Costa Rica have shark finning regulations but don’t aggressively police the shark-rich, protected areas of the Galapagos and Cocos Island. Wherever there are sharks, there are people after their fins. While there have been cases of illegal shark fin activity being stopped, most of it is not.

Why is outlawing finning not the solution to the problem?

Some people feel that stopping the practice of finning might be a solution.  Banning the practice of shark finning, however, is not a full solution to the problem.

• The core issue is that sharks are being fished at an unsustainable rate.
• Shark finning laws are difficult to enforce, especially on the high seas.
• Even if fishermen land the entire shark in compliance with shark finning laws, the shark meat is not always marketable. The rest of the shark is often sold as fertilizer or for animal feed.

Nations and regions that have passed shark finning regulations

American Samoa, Australia (most States and Territories), Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, European Union, Nicaragua, Oman, Palau (Shark Sanctuary), Panama, Republic of the Maldives (complete ban on shark fishing recently enacted), Seychelles (foreign vessels only), South Africa (in national waters only), United States.

For more information:

WildAid’s Shark Conservation Report

https://mckenziewestmore.com/images/stories/documents_english/bleeding%20oceans%20dry.pdf

References:

NY Times, Hidden Cost of Shark Fin Soup: Its Source May Vanish, by JUAN FORERO, January 5, 2006

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS, Yearbook of Fishery Statistics, 2005

Global estimates of shark catches using trade records from commercial markets, Shelley Clarke, Ecology Letters , Volume 9, Issue 10, Page 1115-1126, Oct 2006

Sharkwater , directed by Rob Stewart. www.sharkwater.com

DNA Helps Nab Illegal Shark Fin Traders, By JESSICA GRESKO, Associated Press Writer, August 16, 2006;