Shark finning is the practice of removing a shark’s fins at sea and discarding the often still-living body back into the ocean. This process is driven by the high market value of fins compared to the lower-value meat, allowing vessels to maximize cargo space and profitability. The demand for fins fuels a global conservation crisis, pushing numerous shark species toward extinction due to their slow growth and low reproductive rates. Estimates suggest 73 to 100 million sharks are killed annually, a mortality rate that destabilizes marine ecosystems worldwide.
Defining the Practice and Global Scale
Finning is distinct from legal shark fishing, which requires the entire carcass to be landed at port. Finning is often an illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) activity, making it difficult to track the true number of animals and species involved. Since vessels only store the profitable fins, the volume of shark mortality is vastly increased compared to retaining the entire body.
Despite increased protective legislation, the number of sharks killed annually remains high, with estimates rising from 76 million to over 80 million between 2012 and 2019. This extraction of apex predators causes a trophic cascade, disrupting the ecological balance of ocean food webs. Monitoring vast, remote ocean areas, particularly the high seas, is difficult, allowing fleets to continue the practice with a low risk of detection.
Primary Geographic Hotspots
Finning activity is globally distributed, often correlating with the operational zones of distant-water fishing nations (DWFNs) and regions with limited enforcement. The Indo-Pacific supplies nearly all silky shark fins to major Asian markets, and Indonesia has been the top shark-fishing nation for over two decades. High-intensity areas include the Seram, Arafura, and Timor Seas, where fleets target hammerhead and other vulnerable species.
The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) area is a major fishing ground for longline fleets. Illegal finning has been documented here, often conducted by DWFNs like the Chinese distant-water fleet. In the Atlantic Ocean, commercial longline fleets, particularly those from Spain and Portugal, overlap significantly with the migratory paths of oceanic sharks. Activity is concentrated in the North Atlantic along the Gulf Stream, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. Studies show up to 80% of the range of species like blue and mako sharks overlaps with longline fishing effort.
In the Indian Ocean, areas include the Agulhas Current, the Mozambique Channel, and waters off Southwest Africa. The Western Indian Ocean sees a large volume of shark landings, often involving endangered species like oceanic whitetip and thresher sharks. A high proportion of these sharks have their fins removed shortly after capture, indicating continued trade. These areas are often located in international waters, making highly migratory species particularly vulnerable.
Major Demand and Trade Hubs
The economic incentive for finning is maintained by a network of trade and processing centers, primarily located in East and Southeast Asia. Hong Kong historically functioned as the world’s leading hub for the shark fin trade, controlling the majority of the global market. While some fins are consumed locally, a significant portion is re-exported to mainland China, which remains the largest market for shark fin products.
Singapore is a major trade hub, acting as both an importer and a key redistribution point due to its sophisticated shipping and logistics infrastructure. Other important transit and consumer markets include Taiwan, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The cultural value of shark fin soup, historically served as a symbol of status and wealth, continues to drive international demand. European Union nations, particularly Spain, also act as major suppliers of shark fins to these Asian markets.
International Regulatory Frameworks
International and regional bodies have established frameworks aimed at curbing finning, though enforcement remains challenging. Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), which govern fisheries in international waters, have implemented policies to prohibit the practice. The focus has shifted from the easily exploited “fin-to-carcass ratio” rule to a stricter “fins naturally attached” (FNA) policy.
The FNA requirement mandates that sharks be landed with their fins physically attached to their bodies. This makes it more difficult for vessels to remove fins illegally at sea and simplifies compliance monitoring. Globally, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) restricts the international commercial trade of fins by listing vulnerable species, such as hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks. Many nations, including the European Union and the United States, have adopted strict FNA policies, with some, like the US, also prohibiting the sale and trade of shark fins entirely.