Shark Finning - National/supranational Restrictions

National/supranational Restrictions

Many countries now prohibit finning; however, international waters are unregulated. International fishing authorities are considering banning shark fishing (and finning) in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Finning is banned in the Eastern Pacific, but shark fishing and finning continues unabated in most of the Pacific and Indian Ocean. In countries such as Thailand and Singapore, public awareness advertisements on finning have reportedly reduced consumption by 25%.

There are four main categories of restrictions, as follows:

• shark sanctuary (an area where shark fishing is entirely prohibited;
• area where sharks must be landed with fins attached;
• area where fin to body mass ratio-based regulations have been implemented;
• area where shark product trade regulations exist. (Source: L. Biery and D. Pauly "A global review of species-specific shark-fin-to-body-mass ratios and relevant legislation" Journal of Fish Biology 2012)