GITNUXREPORT 2026

Shark Finning Statistics

Shark finning is devastating global shark populations at an alarming rate.

Rajesh Patel

Team Lead & Senior Researcher with over 15 years of experience in market research and data analytics.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

Our Commitment to Accuracy

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Statistic 1

WWF Shark Initiative launched in 2011 for policy change

Statistic 2

50 shark sanctuaries covering 20 million sq km established by 2023

Statistic 3

CITES protections extended to 3 more shark species in 2023

Statistic 4

Hong Kong's Shark Fin Declaration reduced consumption by 50% since 2014

Statistic 5

Oceana campaigns led to 20 country bans by 2020

Statistic 6

FAO's Shark Database aids 100+ countries in management

Statistic 7

Global Shark Movement Project tags 1,000 sharks yearly

Statistic 8

Coral Triangle shark refuge protects 10 species since 2015

Statistic 9

Pew's campaign stopped EU fin subsidies worth $33 million

Statistic 10

Shark Trust's Finning Tracker monitors 500 vessels

Statistic 11

Bloom's Hong Kong restaurant pledge: 1,000 venues no-fin since 2011

Statistic 12

WildAid PSAs reached 500 million viewers reducing demand

Statistic 13

IUCN Shark Specialist Group assesses 1,200 species

Statistic 14

Maldives eco-tourism generates $20 million replacing fin trade

Statistic 15

AZA zoos promote shark conservation exhibits to 50 million visitors

Statistic 16

FAO promotes shark finning bans in 80 RFMOs

Statistic 17

Sea Shepherd patrols seized 100 tons of fins since 2010

Statistic 18

Global Ghost Gear Initiative recovers 50,000 sharks from nets

Statistic 19

Shark fins alternatives like urchin used in 200 restaurants

Statistic 20

TRAFFIC monitors fin trade reducing illegal volume by 30%

Statistic 21

Fiji's shark sanctuary boosts tourism by 15%

Statistic 22

Education programs in 50 schools reach 100,000 students yearly

Statistic 23

Satellite tracking reveals 80% migration overlap with finning zones

Statistic 24

Reintroduction efforts for angel sharks in 5 sites

Statistic 25

Fin-free corporate pledges by 100 companies since 2015

Statistic 26

The global shark fin trade is valued at around $1-2 billion annually

Statistic 27

Hong Kong imports 8,828 tons of shark fins yearly on average

Statistic 28

China consumes 95% of the world's shark fins

Statistic 29

Shark fin soup retails for $100 per bowl in high-end restaurants

Statistic 30

Dried shark fins sell for $300-$500 per kilogram

Statistic 31

Annual trade volume of shark fins exceeds 10,000 metric tons

Statistic 32

Taiwan exports shark fins worth $100 million USD yearly

Statistic 33

Singapore seizes shark fins valued at $10 million in 2020

Statistic 34

Ecuador's Galapagos fin trade generated $20 million before bans

Statistic 35

India exports 1,200 tons of fins annually worth $50 million

Statistic 36

Spain's fin exports peaked at 12,000 tons in 2007

Statistic 37

United Arab Emirates handles 20% of global fin trade

Statistic 38

Shark fin market in Vietnam worth $200 million per year

Statistic 39

Malaysia's fin industry employs 10,000 people directly

Statistic 40

Fin prices rose 25% from 2010-2020 due to scarcity

Statistic 41

Hong Kong fin retail market valued at $500 million annually

Statistic 42

Illegal fin trade evades $400 million in tariffs yearly

Statistic 43

Costa Rica fin exports dropped from $15 million to $1 million post-ban

Statistic 44

Shark fin derivatives like gelatin worth $100 million globally

Statistic 45

Chinese fin imports fell 80% from 2001 peak of 11,000 tons

Statistic 46

Japan imports 500 tons of fins yearly for $30 million

Statistic 47

Fin trading hubs like Guangzhou handle 5,000 tons annually

Statistic 48

Global fin market projected to decline 5% yearly post-2020

Statistic 49

Shark finning provides $800 million to developing nations fisheries

Statistic 50

UAE fin re-exports to Asia valued at $50 million in 2019

Statistic 51

Shark fins constitute 5% of global seafood trade value

Statistic 52

Average fin from a large shark fetches $50-$100 wholesale

Statistic 53

Sharks are finned at sea to save space, with bodies discarded

Statistic 54

Finning involves cutting off dorsal, pectoral, pelvic, and caudal fins

Statistic 55

One shark yields 4-6% of body weight in fins

Statistic 56

Longline fisheries catch 90% of fins for trade

Statistic 57

Gillnets used in 70% of finning operations in Asia

Statistic 58

Driftnets entangle sharks for finning in Pacific waters

Statistic 59

Purse seine bycatch contributes 20% of fins processed

Statistic 60

Fins are air-dried on deck for 4-5 days post-removal

Statistic 61

Sharks are often alive when finned and discarded to drown

Statistic 62

100 fins require meat from 30-50 sharks due to varying sizes

Statistic 63

Handlines used by artisanal fishers for targeted finning

Statistic 64

Finning occurs primarily on high seas beyond EEZs

Statistic 65

Frozen fins shipped in containers mislabeled as fish maws

Statistic 66

Trawl nets capture juvenile sharks for fins in India

Statistic 67

Spear fishing contributes to finning in Indonesia reefs

Statistic 68

Fin quotas ignored in 80% of flagged vessels

Statistic 69

Sharks finned in processing plants post-landing illegally

Statistic 70

Bycatch finning rates 50% in tuna fisheries

Statistic 71

Fins sorted by size: large dorsal $150/kg, small pectorals $20/kg

Statistic 72

Live sharks transported to ports for finning to evade laws

Statistic 73

Drift gillnets up to 10km long used for mass finning

Statistic 74

Finning peaks during monsoon seasons in Indian Ocean

Statistic 75

Sharks gutted before finning to reduce weight

Statistic 76

Over 50 countries have banned shark finning domestically

Statistic 77

EU requires full shark carcasses landed since 2010

Statistic 78

US Shark Finning Prohibition Act passed in 2000

Statistic 79

Hawaii banned shark fin possession in 2010, first US state

Statistic 80

China banned finning at sea in 2013 but imports continue

Statistic 81

Palau established world's first shark sanctuary in 2009

Statistic 82

Bahamas prohibited all shark fishing in 2011

Statistic 83

Marshall Islands banned shark catch in EEZ in 2015

Statistic 84

India mandates full shark landing since 2016

Statistic 85

Brazil banned shark fin trade in 2014

Statistic 86

Costa Rica finning ban enforced since 2012

Statistic 87

South Africa limits shark quotas strictly since 2017

Statistic 88

CITES lists 5 shark species protected from trade since 2014

Statistic 89

UN FAO International Plan of Action for Sharks adopted 1999

Statistic 90

ICCAT bans bluefin tuna shark finning since 2005

Statistic 91

Spain fined €2 million for illegal finning in 2018

Statistic 92

Hong Kong fines up to HK$500,000 for fin possession

Statistic 93

Australia destroyed 15 tons of illegal fins in 2021

Statistic 94

California banned shark fin sales in 2011

Statistic 95

Mexico prohibited fin exports in 2014

Statistic 96

Maldives banned shark fishing in 2010

Statistic 97

French Polynesia shark sanctuary since 2006

Statistic 98

40 US states have some form of finning restrictions

Statistic 99

Global seizure of 1,800 tons of illegal fins in 2019

Statistic 100

Approximately 73 million sharks are killed annually for their fins

Statistic 101

Shark populations have declined by up to 90% in some regions due to finning

Statistic 102

The oceanic whitetip shark has experienced a 70-90% population decline in the Gulf of Mexico since 1950s

Statistic 103

Blue shark populations in the Atlantic have dropped by 60-70% over the last 30 years

Statistic 104

Hammerhead shark populations have declined by over 50% globally since 1990s

Statistic 105

Shortfin mako sharks have seen a 40-60% decline in the North Atlantic

Statistic 106

Porbeagle shark populations in the North Atlantic reduced by 80% since 1960s

Statistic 107

Great white shark populations declined by 50% in South Africa waters due to finning

Statistic 108

Tiger shark numbers in the Indo-Pacific fell by 50-70%

Statistic 109

Bull shark populations in the Mediterranean have crashed by over 90%

Statistic 110

Silky shark stocks in the Pacific declined by 60% from 1994-2010

Statistic 111

Thresher shark populations in the Indian Ocean dropped by 65%

Statistic 112

Sandbar shark populations in the Atlantic reduced by 87% since 1970s

Statistic 113

Dusky shark declined by 75-90% in the Northwest Atlantic

Statistic 114

Scalloped hammerhead populations fell by 89% in the Atlantic

Statistic 115

Smooth hammerhead sharks declined by 50% globally

Statistic 116

Winghead shark populations reduced by 70% in Southeast Asia

Statistic 117

Bigeye thresher shark declined by 80% in the Pacific

Statistic 118

Pelagic thresher populations crashed by 85% in the Coral Triangle

Statistic 119

Blacktip shark numbers down 40% in the Gulf of Mexico

Statistic 120

Lemon shark populations declined by 60% in the Caribbean

Statistic 121

Nurse shark stocks fell by 50% around Bahamas

Statistic 122

Whale shark sightings reduced by 63% in the Indian Ocean

Statistic 123

Basking shark populations declined by 95% in the Northeast Atlantic

Statistic 124

Greenland shark populations impacted by 30% incidental finning

Statistic 125

Sixgill shark deep-sea populations down 40%

Statistic 126

Angel shark extinct in the Mediterranean due to finning pressures

Statistic 127

Sawfish populations declined by 90% globally from fin trade

Statistic 128

Goblin shark rare captures indicate 50% rarity increase

Statistic 129

Megamouth shark sightings sparse, linked to finning bycatch

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Sources

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Picture an ocean stripped of its ancient predators: each year, nearly 73 million sharks are hauled onto decks worldwide, only to have their fins sliced off for soup before their still-living bodies are discarded overboard, a brutal practice that has decimated populations of iconic species by up to 90% in some regions.

Key Takeaways

Approximately 73 million sharks are killed annually for their fins
Shark populations have declined by up to 90% in some regions due to finning
The oceanic whitetip shark has experienced a 70-90% population decline in the Gulf of Mexico since 1950s
The global shark fin trade is valued at around $1-2 billion annually
Hong Kong imports 8,828 tons of shark fins yearly on average
China consumes 95% of the world's shark fins
Sharks are finned at sea to save space, with bodies discarded
Finning involves cutting off dorsal, pectoral, pelvic, and caudal fins
One shark yields 4-6% of body weight in fins
Over 50 countries have banned shark finning domestically
EU requires full shark carcasses landed since 2010
US Shark Finning Prohibition Act passed in 2000
WWF Shark Initiative launched in 2011 for policy change
50 shark sanctuaries covering 20 million sq km established by 2023
CITES protections extended to 3 more shark species in 2023

Shark finning is devastating global shark populations at an alarming rate.

Conservation Measures

WWF Shark Initiative launched in 2011 for policy change
50 shark sanctuaries covering 20 million sq km established by 2023
CITES protections extended to 3 more shark species in 2023
Hong Kong's Shark Fin Declaration reduced consumption by 50% since 2014
Oceana campaigns led to 20 country bans by 2020
FAO's Shark Database aids 100+ countries in management
Global Shark Movement Project tags 1,000 sharks yearly
Coral Triangle shark refuge protects 10 species since 2015
Pew's campaign stopped EU fin subsidies worth $33 million
Shark Trust's Finning Tracker monitors 500 vessels
Bloom's Hong Kong restaurant pledge: 1,000 venues no-fin since 2011
WildAid PSAs reached 500 million viewers reducing demand
IUCN Shark Specialist Group assesses 1,200 species
Maldives eco-tourism generates $20 million replacing fin trade
AZA zoos promote shark conservation exhibits to 50 million visitors
FAO promotes shark finning bans in 80 RFMOs
Sea Shepherd patrols seized 100 tons of fins since 2010
Global Ghost Gear Initiative recovers 50,000 sharks from nets
Shark fins alternatives like urchin used in 200 restaurants
TRAFFIC monitors fin trade reducing illegal volume by 30%
Fiji's shark sanctuary boosts tourism by 15%
Education programs in 50 schools reach 100,000 students yearly
Satellite tracking reveals 80% migration overlap with finning zones
Reintroduction efforts for angel sharks in 5 sites
Fin-free corporate pledges by 100 companies since 2015

Conservation Measures Interpretation

While the statistics paint a grim picture of a global industry built on shark fins, they also reveal a hopeful counter-offensive, where sanctuaries, science, and savvy campaigns are steadily reclaiming the seas one protected species, busted vessel, and reformed soup bowl at a time.

Economic Value

The global shark fin trade is valued at around $1-2 billion annually
Hong Kong imports 8,828 tons of shark fins yearly on average
China consumes 95% of the world's shark fins
Shark fin soup retails for $100 per bowl in high-end restaurants
Dried shark fins sell for $300-$500 per kilogram
Annual trade volume of shark fins exceeds 10,000 metric tons
Taiwan exports shark fins worth $100 million USD yearly
Singapore seizes shark fins valued at $10 million in 2020
Ecuador's Galapagos fin trade generated $20 million before bans
India exports 1,200 tons of fins annually worth $50 million
Spain's fin exports peaked at 12,000 tons in 2007
United Arab Emirates handles 20% of global fin trade
Shark fin market in Vietnam worth $200 million per year
Malaysia's fin industry employs 10,000 people directly
Fin prices rose 25% from 2010-2020 due to scarcity
Hong Kong fin retail market valued at $500 million annually
Illegal fin trade evades $400 million in tariffs yearly
Costa Rica fin exports dropped from $15 million to $1 million post-ban
Shark fin derivatives like gelatin worth $100 million globally
Chinese fin imports fell 80% from 2001 peak of 11,000 tons
Japan imports 500 tons of fins yearly for $30 million
Fin trading hubs like Guangzhou handle 5,000 tons annually
Global fin market projected to decline 5% yearly post-2020
Shark finning provides $800 million to developing nations fisheries
UAE fin re-exports to Asia valued at $50 million in 2019
Shark fins constitute 5% of global seafood trade value
Average fin from a large shark fetches $50-$100 wholesale

Economic Value Interpretation

The sobering math reveals a global economy built on shark fins, where a bowl of soup worth a hundred dollars ultimately costs the ocean a fortune in both life and balance.

Harvesting Methods

Sharks are finned at sea to save space, with bodies discarded
Finning involves cutting off dorsal, pectoral, pelvic, and caudal fins
One shark yields 4-6% of body weight in fins
Longline fisheries catch 90% of fins for trade
Gillnets used in 70% of finning operations in Asia
Driftnets entangle sharks for finning in Pacific waters
Purse seine bycatch contributes 20% of fins processed
Fins are air-dried on deck for 4-5 days post-removal
Sharks are often alive when finned and discarded to drown
100 fins require meat from 30-50 sharks due to varying sizes
Handlines used by artisanal fishers for targeted finning
Finning occurs primarily on high seas beyond EEZs
Frozen fins shipped in containers mislabeled as fish maws
Trawl nets capture juvenile sharks for fins in India
Spear fishing contributes to finning in Indonesia reefs
Fin quotas ignored in 80% of flagged vessels
Sharks finned in processing plants post-landing illegally
Bycatch finning rates 50% in tuna fisheries
Fins sorted by size: large dorsal $150/kg, small pectorals $20/kg
Live sharks transported to ports for finning to evade laws
Drift gillnets up to 10km long used for mass finning
Finning peaks during monsoon seasons in Indian Ocean
Sharks gutted before finning to reduce weight

Harvesting Methods Interpretation

The industry's gruesome math is laid bare: to get one hundred dried fins, up to fifty living sharks are mutilated and tossed back, a practice sustained by a global web of outlaw fishing that treats majestic creatures as mere scraps for soup.

Legal Status

Over 50 countries have banned shark finning domestically
EU requires full shark carcasses landed since 2010
US Shark Finning Prohibition Act passed in 2000
Hawaii banned shark fin possession in 2010, first US state
China banned finning at sea in 2013 but imports continue
Palau established world's first shark sanctuary in 2009
Bahamas prohibited all shark fishing in 2011
Marshall Islands banned shark catch in EEZ in 2015
India mandates full shark landing since 2016
Brazil banned shark fin trade in 2014
Costa Rica finning ban enforced since 2012
South Africa limits shark quotas strictly since 2017
CITES lists 5 shark species protected from trade since 2014
UN FAO International Plan of Action for Sharks adopted 1999
ICCAT bans bluefin tuna shark finning since 2005
Spain fined €2 million for illegal finning in 2018
Hong Kong fines up to HK$500,000 for fin possession
Australia destroyed 15 tons of illegal fins in 2021
California banned shark fin sales in 2011
Mexico prohibited fin exports in 2014
Maldives banned shark fishing in 2010
French Polynesia shark sanctuary since 2006
40 US states have some form of finning restrictions
Global seizure of 1,800 tons of illegal fins in 2019

Legal Status Interpretation

While the growing stack of global bans and seizures suggests we’re finally trying to save sharks from the soup bowl instead of just admiring our good intentions, the enduring market and illicit catches prove we’re still letting far too many fins slip through the net.

Population Decline

Approximately 73 million sharks are killed annually for their fins
Shark populations have declined by up to 90% in some regions due to finning
The oceanic whitetip shark has experienced a 70-90% population decline in the Gulf of Mexico since 1950s
Blue shark populations in the Atlantic have dropped by 60-70% over the last 30 years
Hammerhead shark populations have declined by over 50% globally since 1990s
Shortfin mako sharks have seen a 40-60% decline in the North Atlantic
Porbeagle shark populations in the North Atlantic reduced by 80% since 1960s
Great white shark populations declined by 50% in South Africa waters due to finning
Tiger shark numbers in the Indo-Pacific fell by 50-70%
Bull shark populations in the Mediterranean have crashed by over 90%
Silky shark stocks in the Pacific declined by 60% from 1994-2010
Thresher shark populations in the Indian Ocean dropped by 65%
Sandbar shark populations in the Atlantic reduced by 87% since 1970s
Dusky shark declined by 75-90% in the Northwest Atlantic
Scalloped hammerhead populations fell by 89% in the Atlantic
Smooth hammerhead sharks declined by 50% globally
Winghead shark populations reduced by 70% in Southeast Asia
Bigeye thresher shark declined by 80% in the Pacific
Pelagic thresher populations crashed by 85% in the Coral Triangle
Blacktip shark numbers down 40% in the Gulf of Mexico
Lemon shark populations declined by 60% in the Caribbean
Nurse shark stocks fell by 50% around Bahamas
Whale shark sightings reduced by 63% in the Indian Ocean
Basking shark populations declined by 95% in the Northeast Atlantic
Greenland shark populations impacted by 30% incidental finning
Sixgill shark deep-sea populations down 40%
Angel shark extinct in the Mediterranean due to finning pressures
Sawfish populations declined by 90% globally from fin trade
Goblin shark rare captures indicate 50% rarity increase
Megamouth shark sightings sparse, linked to finning bycatch

Population Decline Interpretation

We are quite literally scraping the bottom of the sea barrel, proving that even for sharks, the phrase "having a fin in every pot" is a recipe for global ecological collapse.

Sources & References

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