Shark finning

Shark finning is the removal of a shark’s fins, often followed by the animal being discarded at sea. It is distinct from landing sharks with their fins attached.

Shark fin: A shark’s paired or median appendage, used for movement, stability, or steering. The fins are removed and retained for their commercial value.
Shark mortality: The death of sharks through natural causes or human activities. Discarded sharks commonly die after losing fins and being returned to sea.
Fins-attached policy: A fisheries rule requiring sharks to be landed with their fins naturally attached. It prevents at-sea fin removal and allows authorities to match fins to carcasses.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing: Fishing that violates rules, escapes reporting, or occurs without effective management. Unreported catches can conceal finning and undermine estimates of shark mortality.
Shark fin soup: A Chinese celebratory soup traditionally made with shark-fin cartilage. Demand for this status dish has driven trade in dried fins.
Shark population decline: A sustained decrease in the abundance of one or more shark populations. Finning contributes to fishing pressure on species targeted for valuable fins.
Shark fishing: The capture of sharks for food, materials, or other commercial and subsistence uses. Finning is one practice within the broader activity of catching sharks.
Shark fin DNA testing: Genetic methods that identify shark species from tissue samples, including processed fins. Species identification can support enforcement when fins are separated from carcasses.
Shark finning ban: A law or regulation that prohibits removing a shark’s fins and discarding its body at sea. Bans seek to prevent fin-only harvest and make catches easier to monitor.
Shark conservation: The protection and sustainable management of shark species and their habitats. Finning has helped spur efforts to regulate shark fisheries and trade.

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