by Troy Ritter
One of the major hot topics in ocean conservation today, especially as it relates to seafood, is shark fin soup. Condemned by Humane Society International (HSI), the dish dates back as far as the Ming Dynasty (mid 1300s) as the soup of emperors. Still considered a delicacy, as the standard of living for families in China rose, so did the demand for shark fin soup. But a soup that was associated with wealth and prestige in China quickly became a representation of exploitation and cruelty to the rest of the world. Now, in 2023, over 50 countries have banned shark finning – the act of removing shark fins while the shark is alive and throwing it back in the water. The practice has been especially criticized by the US and EU for its cruelty and concerns about the overfishing of shark stocks. This criticism has largely consisted of massive statements, documentaries, and photos showcasing the violent and bloody images of sharks being slaughtered by Chinese fisherman or – still covered in blood – being sold in Chinese markets. The wastefulness is emphasized as the shark industry is framed as a largely Asian – and especially Chinese – issue.
The US and EU’s concerns are not for nothing. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN Red List) over one third of all sharks, rays, and chimaeras are at risk of extinction as a result of overfishing. Three species have been classified as ‘possibly extinct,’ and experts have stated that the number of threatened species has doubled while the number of endangered species has more than tripled since 2014. The 2020 study, ‘Global status and conservation potential of reef sharks’ published by Nature revealed that sharks are ‘functionally extinct’ in 20% of surveyed reefs. With such a bleak outlook on the well-being of sharks, it’s only natural that the EU would be concerned by the rampant overfishing and consumption of sharks. One would be under the impression, then, that the EU with all its concerns and criticisms would stand as a beacon of light against the shark industry.
And yet – in a nearly two decade long study reported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the EU represented 45% of shark-fin product exports in 2020.
The global shark and ray meat trade is valued at an estimated $2.6 billion USD and between 2003 and 2020 the EU has imported over 53k tonnes of shark-fin products to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan – or 28% of the shark fin imports to those regions. As the trade has declined, that portion has only increased as the EU is now responsible for 45% of all shark fin products being imported to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan.
In the summer of 2022, Greenpeace released a report named ‘Hooked on Sharks.’ This report outlined the evolution of the shark industry, especially as it relates to the North Atlantic shark fishery, and how the industry has impacted marine ecosystems. In this report, Greenpeace showcased the top exporters and importers of shark meat in the world. Spain – a member of the EU – is the world’s top exporter of shark meat both by value and weight. Italy – another EU member – is the top importer by value. The only category in which an EU country is not the top is importer by weight, a title claimed by Brazil. Even then, Spain and Portugal – both EU countries – take second and third place respectively.
Despite these numbers, in 2011 says José Ramón Fuertes, director of the Cooperative of Shipowners of Vigo, and Concepción Ortega, of Espaderos Guardeses made a statement on shark fin products coming out of Spain saying: “The Spanish and EU fleet does not practice finning and some ignore us when we explain that our methods have nothing to do with finning.” He later went on to explain on the matter that “other fleets, such as Asian ones, but not the Spanish” carry out finning. And this is the distinction.
Yet, in the EU the act of shark finning – removing the fins of a shark, then releasing the shark back into the ocean – is illegal and has been banned in the EU since 2013; however, fishing for shark is still a major industry, and the fins are naturally a part of said industry. So, while yes, the EU does not permit the act of finning, the EU’s ‘concerns’ being based around concerns of overfishing and the destruction of shark stocks seems to be far less real than they’ve made it out to be. Caroline Roose, a Belgian politician and member of the European Parliament pointed out these concerns when commenting on the EU’s shark industry saying, “[The EU is killing] very large numbers of sharks to feed the fin trade, scorning the consequences for biodiversity.”
It’s worth pointing out that the US is not innocent, either. The United States ranks 4th in terms of shark meat exported both by value and weight. Likewise, the illegal trade of shark fins is very much alive and well. Just earlier this year in Miami, Florida a federal court sentenced Elite Sky International, Inc. – an exporter – to a fine of a quarter of a million dollars and five years probation for falsely labeling over 5.6k pounds of shark fins as live lobsters.
Sharks have spent almost a century with probably the world’s worst PR. Overtime, though, that has changed as people have developed a healthy respect – if not love – for the value of sharks and their place in marine ecosystems. With that respect comes a need to protect, and an outcry against the overfishing and mistreatment of these animals. Policy makers know this. Policy makers also know how much easier it is to distract their constituents with outcries against how other countries are contributing to – or in some cases implying that they are the cause of – the issue, than it is to create and enforce policies to restrict a growing industry within their own borders. For people like José Ramón Fuertes, it’s simple to say that “it’s not us, it’s the Asians.”
