Shark finning, a global problem even in U.S.

Many shark species are facing extinction as a result of overfishing. While sharks are commercially fished for their meat and other body parts including their fins, the latter bring in the highest values per pound. Even in countries where finning is illegal the practice continues as evidenced by recent criminal indictments made in Florida.

In June I posted a story about sharks and why they matter. In that story I stated that many shark species face the threat of extinction. In fact, about a third of all known sharks species are considered threatened with extinction. In the article I cited shark biologist and author David Shiffman who says that the “biggest threat facing sharks and their relatives is unsustainable overfishing. There’s no doubt about that. A hundred percent of threatened species have overfishing as one of one or their only threat.”

Shark finning - What is it? Why is it done?

Sharks are fished for their meat and other body parts including their fins. Shark finning is a practice where the fin is sliced off a living animal. While still alive the animal is likely to be dumped overboard into the ocean where the animals die due to blood loss and suffocation. The latter occurs because many sharks need to keep moving in order to breath. As the shark swims water passes over their gills, a respiratory organs that functions like our lungs. Tiny blood vessels in the gills extract oxygen from the water while carbon dioxide is passed out of the gills.  Rather than keeping the whole shark, commercial fishers may keep only the fins because they are the most valuable part of the shark’s body.  

Shark fins are valued for culinary and medicinal purposes. Fins are an essential ingredient in  shark fin soup. The dish is considered a symbol of status in Chinese culture. Caty Fairclough writes for the Smithsonian that “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 gather and sell shark fins.”  

Anti-shark finning petitions and legislation

Back in January 2020, an anti-shark finning initiative was circulated around the European Union. The aim of the initiative petition was to end the fin trade in the 27 member states that comprise the Union. Shark finning is currently prohibited on board EU vessels and in EU waters but, as the European Citizen Initiative stated, the European Union “is among the biggest exporters of fins and a major transit hub for the global fin trade.” At the end of the signature collection period in March 2022, the petition had surpassed by more than 202,000, the goal of one million signatures.

With this as background, it was a great surprise to read in an August 2 Associate Press article by Joshua Goodman that the America seafood industry also is implicated in the shark finning trade. Although the practice is illegal in the U.S., criminal activities exist, supported by a market that will pay as much as $500 a pound for shark fins. Goodman’s article brings attention to several recent criminal indictments made in Florida. Both exporters are accused of falsely labeling cargo bound for China. This news is further aggravated by Goodman’s news that “every year, American wildlife inspectors seize thousands of shark fins while in transit to Asia for failing to declare the shipments.” This despite the fact that since 2000, federal law has made it illegal to cut the fins off living sharks; however, individual states are able to make a determination that businesses can take fins from dead sharks and export these overseas.

Several attempts have been made in Congress to pass a bill to “make it illegal to possess, buy, sell, or transport shark fins or any product containing shark fins, except for certain dogfish fins. A person may possess a shark fin that was lawfully taken consistent with a license or permit under certain circumstances.” Penalties would be imposed for violations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. A maximum civil penalty for each violation would be “$100,000, or the fair market value of the shark fins involved, whichever is greater.” The legislation, originally introduced in 2017 by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, is once again winding its way through Congress.  A poll conducted back in 2020 by Ipsos for Oceana found that 77 percent of all Americans and 79 of all registered voters supported the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act.

The news about shark fishing is sobering. According to Goodman, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that less than 23% of the 66 shark stocks in U.S. waters are safe from overfishing and the status of more than half of the shark stocks isn’t known. A report by Greenpeace listed the U.S. as the fourth-largest shark exporter in the world behind Spain, China and Portugal.

Wanted - Dead or Alive?

In all cases, what’s lacking are effective laws and enforcement. The lack of adequate protection for sharks bodes poorly for marine ecosystem and economics. These top predators have lived on Earth for 450 million years, long before the dinosaurs existed. Their future existence is now in question with implications for marine ecosystems as sharks maintain a balance in the undersea world. The economics of shark-finning is short-sighted too. As an example, Ellen Johnson writes in an article for the Mystic Aquarium that in some areas sharks are worth “more alive than dead due to the growing popularity of shark ecotourism.