Why ban shark finning?

• Finning is responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of sharks every year.
• The removal of the ocean’s top predators may have serious, widespread effects for marine ecosystems and potentially threaten yields of other commercially important species.
• Finning is hugely wasteful – throwing away 95% of a valuable protein source should not be an option in a world where fish stocks are declining and millions of people face chronic hunger.
• Finning prevents species-specific catch data from being collected. Without such information, sustainable management of shark fisheries is not possible.

What is Shark Finning?

• Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins and the discard at sea of the carcass. The shark is most often still alive when it is tossed back into the water. Unable to swim, the shark slowly sinks toward the bottom where it is eaten alive by other fish.
• Shark finning takes place at sea so the fishers have only the fins to transport. Shark meat is considered low value and therefore not worth the cost of transporting the bulky shark bodies to market.
• Any shark is taken-regardless of age, size, or species.
• Longlines, used in shark finning operations, are the most significant cause of losses in shark populations worldwide.
• Shark finning is widespread, and largely unmanaged and unmonitored.
• Shark finning has increased over the past decade due to the increasing demand for shark fins (for shark fin soup and traditional cures), improved fishing technology, and improved market economics.
• Shark specialists estimate that 100 million sharks are killed for their fins, annually.
• One pound of dried shark fin can retail for $300 or more. It's a multi-billion dollar industry.

• Loss and devastation of shark populations around the world. Experts estimate that within a decade, most species of sharks will be lost because of longlining.
• Unsustainable fishery. The massive quantity of sharks harvested and lack of selection deplete shark populations faster than their reproductive abilities can replenish populations.
• Threatens the stability of marine ecosystems.
• Loss of sharks as a food staple for many developing countries.
• Local waters are invaded by large industrial, foreign fishing vessels that threaten traditional sustainable fisheries.
• Threatens socio-economically important recreational fisheries.
• Obstructs the collection of species-specific data that are essential for monitoring catches and implementing sustainable fisheries management.
• Wasteful of protein and other shark-based products. Up to 99 per cent of the shark is thrown away.

• Each country with a coastline is responsible for laws and regulations pertaining to fishing in their waters.
• A number of countries have shark-finning legislation. Many stipulate that fins must arrive in a 5 per cent weight ratio of the shark carcasses onboard. Only a few countries demand that sharks arrive in port with fins attached.
• According to the IUCN Shark Specialist group, the easiest way to implement a ban is to require that shark carcasses be landed with fins attached. The possession of fins alone on vessels would thus be illegal.
• Shark finning violates the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.
• Shark finning is contrary to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's International Plan for the Conservation and Management of Sharks.
• The United Nations Convention on the Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) lists the whale shark, basking shark, and great white shark as species that could become threatened if trade is not controlled. To date, 169 countries have agreed to be legally bound by CITES.

The IUCN Shark Specialist Group compiled the following information:

Trade and landings data indicate that finning activity is widespread, largely unmanaged and unmonitored. Because of the biological characteristics of sharks, it also leads to unsustainable levels of mortality.

Finning and discarding of shark bodies is wasteful of protein and other potential products derived from sharks (it utilises only 2-5% of the shark, throwing the remainder away). This wastage prevents socio-economic benefits from accruing when other shark products are processed on shore and is a threat to food security (the latter particularly when undertaken by distant water fleets in the waters of developing countries).

Finning causes the death of tens of millions of sharks. This potentially threatens the survival of rare and vulnerable species and, by removing large numbers of top predators from the oceanic ecosystem, may have dramatic and undesirable ecological impacts that could potentially threaten yields of other commercial species.

Finning impedes the collection of the species-specific scientific data that are essential for monitoring catches and landings and implementing sustainable shark fisheries management (as required under international agreements and statutes).

Hong Kong handles at least 50% and perhaps as much as 80% of the world trade in shark fin. The Hong Kong Government Census and Statistics Department maintains detailed records of unprocessed and processed shark fin imports (recorded as weight and value of frozen/salted and dried fin) by country of origin and country of consignment. These records show that in recent years imports of unprocessed shark fins from Europe, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, USA, Yemen, India, Japan, and Mexico have dominated the Hong Kong market.

Hong Kong trade data indicate that imports of fins rose significantly at the end of the 1980s, from 2739 metric tons (mt) in 1980 to over 3000 mt in 1987 and 4000 mt in 1992. Imports are currently continuing to grow at 6% per annum. Before this time, most sharks caught incidentally in long line fisheries (probably the largest source of fins) were an unwanted by-catch. Fishermen tried to minimize incidental hooking rates and sharks were generally released alive (over 80% of sharks taken in pelagic hook and line fisheries around Hawaii were alive when brought on board for finning). The increased demand for shark fins combined with depletion of stocks of traditional target species (e.g. tuna and swordfish) transformed sharks from a largely unwanted by-catch into a valuable target species within ten years.

Websites about sharks and shark finning:

• Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
• WildAid
• Shark Trust
• Shark Project
• The Florida Museum of Natural History/ American Elasmobranch Society/ International Shark Attack File
• ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research

Sources:
IUCN Shark Specialist Group. "IUCN Information Paper. Shark Finning." 2003.
IUCN Shark Specialist Group. "Shark Specialist Group Finning Statement."
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - www.seashepherd.org. "Longline Fishing."
WildAid & Co-Habitat. "Shark Finning." September 2003.