In some regions like the EU, this ratio is so high that it allows more sharks to be captured than reported by the actual fin weight. Most shark fins go to Hong Kong for processing, and re-exported to China and other countries like the US.
Fins traded as a dried product do not have any documentation of where that shark was captured, the species or if it was legally harvested or finned on the high seas. Most shark fins are virtually unrecognizable by species. Once it is in the market or in the bowl, most consumers will not know where the fin came from, or if it was harvested legally or illegally. Any shark is fair game, but some species are more prized than others. The large fins of Whale Sharks, Basking Sharks are coveted for decoration at restaurants.
These species are among the most threatened. Pelagic species such as Oceanic White tip and Silky sharks are common in the high-end trade. Illegal fisheries such as those that target the Galapagos, Cocos Island reserve and other remote islands capture reef sharks and hammerhead sharks.
The Blue shark is among the most common traded with an estimated 20 million killed for their fins annually. By nature, sharks are difficult to study and good fisheries data are hard to obtain.
The practice of finning, which is mostly an unreported practice is robbing scientists of population and capture data. Many pelagic shark species are widespread and do not school. Many larger sharks travel vast distances alone. Most large sharks have late onset of fertility decades give birth to few young and have long gestation periods, making them very vulnerable to overfishing.
Therefore, it is very difficult to arrive at a sustainable number. This is why most commercial shark fisheries collapse economically. Until that is achieved and it can be enforced, then the source of fins must stop and fins made illegal. Only the sawfishes Sawfishes Pristidae spp.
Oceanic whitetip shark Carcharhinus longimanus Porbeagle shark Lamna nasus Scalloped hammerhead shark Sphyrna lewini Smooth hammerhead shark Sphyrna zygaena Great hammerhead shark Sphyrna mokarran Manta rays Manta spp.
Additionally, many individual countries are making their own protections. For instance, all sharks caught in U. Since , 22 countries have placed domestic regulations on shark finning.
China is also working towards ending shark finning. To decrease the cultural value of fins, the Chinese government began prohibiting the serving of shark fin soup at official banquets in Yet cultural values are slow to change, even with growing support to ban shark fishing from governments and celebrities.
Many restaurants and hotels around the world continue to sell shark fin soup. One survey found that only six percent of luxury hotels in the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shenzhen, and Fuzhou had stopped serving the dish.
To those who feel shark fin soup is a part of their culture, cutting it out of their diets completely is difficult. Some people support pdf increasing regulations on shark finning rather than banning it completely or using the whole shark so there is less waste and cruelty.
Others remain staunchly against this process, making it difficult to resolve this debate. In , the UN developed the International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks, but no country is forced to participate and progress has been slow.
Beyond that, shark legislation varies greatly between states, providing anything from zero Hong Kong to weak to full protection the Bahamas. The US Shark Conservation Act requires that all sharks except smooth dogfish be brought ashore with their fins intact. Many people believe this is the only way to secure an enforceable ban on shark finning, while enabling the collection of species-specific management data.
The EU approved similar legislation in , and other countries are following suit. It is critical to reduce demand, by changing attitudes. Sharks are apex predators and play a vital role in maintaining marine ecosystems. Without them, marine animals and habitats would suffer. Shark finning is unsustainable. Not only do humans decimate shark populations, but sharks have low reproductive rates, making repopulation difficult.
Many types of sharks are exploited for their fins, including endangered species such as the Scalloped Hammerhead and Great Hammerhead. Shark products can contain dangerous levels of mercury, presenting a public health risk.
Sharks are hunted for other products such as meat, leather and health supplements in addition to their fins. Our work in action. Act Now.
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