Nico
April 20, 2026 at 1:56:12 PM
Shark fins are considered valuable and becoming higher and higher in demand. And humans are finning sharks faster than they can repopulate.
Shark finning is when someone removes the fins from a shark, often keeping the shark alive and discarding the rest of the body to the water. Not all, but some species of shark, such as the Great Whites and Mako sharks require fins needing to move in order to continue breathing, causing suffocation and eventual death. Other species bleed out and die soon after the attack.
What is the reason for shark finning?
Shark fins are considered valuable, sometimes selling for $500 a pound or $1100 a kilogram. That is much more than shark meat itself. It's also much easier to transport solely the find than an entire shark carcass. Some also catch sharks solely for the fins, keeping them alive to die afterwards.
Shark fin soup is a culturally significant dish in many areas to symbolize prestige and celebration, historically used by Chinese emperors as a meal for guests to show victory over powerful sharks.
Why is it bad?
Sharks are long-living fish that grow slowly and tend to have few offspring typically ranging from one or two pups to over a hundred depending on the species. Life history traits and a growing demand for shark products have led sharks to being overfished. Every year, humans kill an estimated 100 million sharks, which could have ripple effects throwing entire ecosystems off balance. The scalloped hammer head has been led to endangerment and the smooth hammerhead now being vulnerable, this practice is taking its toll on global shark populations.
How can we solve this?
First, many areas are placing bans on the practice, including Australia, China, Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, New Zealand and even Palau, along with many more around the world. The second method of stopping shark finning would be the FNA (Fins Naturally Attached) policy. Requiring sharks be landed with their fins attached to the carcass. Other jurisdictions are banning the trade of shark fins, prohibiting the sale, purchase, or trade of fins.
So due to these reasons, shark finning in general is a horrible practice. The global shark population is dropping, and us humans are the biggest reason behind it.