Shark finning: devastating impacts and global efforts to stop it
Shark finning is the practice of catching sharks—often with longlines or gillnets—slicing off their fins (dorsal, pectoral, caudal, etc.) while the animal is still alive, and discarding the body back into the ocean. The fins are dried and primarily used in shark fin soup, a traditional luxury dish in some cultures symbolizing wealth, status, and celebration.
The cruelty is extreme: without fins, sharks cannot swim effectively or maintain buoyancy. Many species must swim continuously to breathe (ram ventilation). Finned sharks sink, suffocate, bleed out slowly, or are eaten alive by predators—a painful death that can take hours or days. This … Continue
