Shark Finning is the practice of removing the shark’s fins alive after it has been caught. The fins are sold, while the shark’s body is usually thrown back into the sea. The shark can no longer swim due to the loss of fins and dies of suffocation, blood loss or is eaten by other animals. The trade is lucrative: A single shark fin can cost up to 1,000 euros.
A WWF analysis of more than 250 countries shows that the European Union plays a central role in the global trade in shark meat and shark fins! 22 percent of imports and exports are attributable to European countries.
In one year, about 112,000 tons of sharks are caught here, followed by Indonesia with 111,000 tons and India with 67,000 tons. In the EU, however, the trade in shark fins is still allowed. Only so-called “finning” is prohibited. However, only about 5 percent of ships are checked at all!
However, sharks also suffer considerably from the overfishing of the oceans. As a result of extreme overfishing, some populations have already declined by 95 percent. 36 percent of all shark species are already threatened.
Sharks play an important role in the sea. If the shark is missing, no one is responsible for regulating fish stocks, which would lead to the nutrients being used up in the sea, which in turn causes the sea to die.