Push begins to halt Pacific shark finning

October 4, 1999
Web posted at: 3:40 p.m. EDT (1940 GMT)

The practice of killing sharks solely for their fins is on the rise, and conservationists want to put an end to the trend.

Shark finning — the practice of killing sharks solely for the value of their fins — is receiving a great deal of attention from conservationists who say the practice is cruel and wasteful. One could say it's like robbing an elephant of its tusks.

Currently banned in U.S. Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico waters, environmentalists are pushing to end the practice of finning in the Pacific where shark mortality has grown significantly.

The number of sharks killed in the Hawaiian long-line fisheries has climbed from 2,289 in 1991 to 60,857 in 1998 — a notable 2,500 percent increase. More than 98 percent of these sharks were killed for their fins to meet the huge increase in demand for shark fin soup. And because shark fins constitute only one to five percent of the animal's bodyweight — 95 to 99 percent of the shark is often wasted.

Blue sharks are the most common sharks harvested for their fins, comprising more than 90 percent of the finning catch in the United States. Because blue sharks have a high urea content in their muscles, the meat has a strong ammonia smell and taste, requiring the shark to be processed immediately in order to be consumed. As a result, blue shark carcasses are almost always tossed back into the ocean once fishermen have removed their fins.

Shark fins are one of the most expensive fish products in the world, selling for as much as $200 a kilo. A vast majority of all fins are shipped to Hong Kong where the fins are considered a delicacy and a status symbol. "As a result of the economic boom in the 1980s more people can afford shark fins," said Russell Dunn, assistant director of the Ocean Wildlife Campaign. "Once used only in celebrations you can now find them everywhere."

What worries conservationists is the low reproductive rate of sharks, which make them particularly susceptible to over fishing. Among the top predators of the marine food chain, many sharks do not reach sexual maturity until the age of 25 and produce only a few offspring. Coupled with poor information regarding the status and health of Pacific shark populations, conservationists say the exponential increase in mortality levels over the past decade is cause for concern .

"Because most stay out at sea, ranging over wide areas, it is very difficult to do a population assessment," said Dunn. "It is necessary to take a precautionary approach when a manager is faced with incomplete data."

Other environmentalists are also vocal about the waste level associated with finning and the cruelty factor involved in throwing live fin-less sharks overboard.

The issue is expected to be discussed in October by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. Rep. Randy Cunningham, R-Calif., has introduced legislation that would end shark finning in all U.S. waters. Cunningham's proposal follows the failure of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and the Hawaiian State Legislature to halt the practice earlier this year, despite concerns expressed by conservationists, fishermen, scientists and the public.

Dunn said legislation would require the full utilization of sharks and would drop the overall number of sharks being killed per year.

More than 125 countries participate in the shark trade. The United States and Mexico alone land more than 100,000 metric tons of shark a year and are considered two of the top shark fishing nations in the world.

"The U.S. has been a leader internationally in trying to address the problems of sharks," said Dunn. "We must address the issue on our own before we point our fingers at other countries. We are hoping it will put the United States in a much stronger position to address finning on a global scale. "

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