How many sharks are killed each year?

Listen to this article Compared to other fisheries, the shark fin industry is opaque, secretive and operates in a grey area, exploiting all possible legal loopholes. In addition, it is not known how many sharks are actually caught each year because Member States of the United Nations report catches with very different degrees of accuracy.

ByMarcin Pawelczyk

Published: March 27, 2011 - 17:04

Updated: February 9, 2023 - 10:25

Listen to this article

Compared to other fisheries, the shark fin industry is opaque, secretive and operates in a grey area, exploiting all possible legal loopholes. In addition, it is not known how many sharks are actually caught each year because Member States of the United Nations report catches with very different degrees of accuracy.

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In 2006, a group of researchers led by Shelley C. Clark, published the first study estimating the number of sharks caught. However, the resulting figure remained a very rough estimate, as the researchers relied on data on how many shark fins end up in the legal trade.

Using data on the turnover of shark fins at auction in Hong Kong, the world’s largest shark fin trading centre, they estimated the number of sharks caught globally and quantified the uncertainty in this estimate.

It found that between 26 million and 73 million sharks are caught annually, with an annual average of 38 million.

We must remember that sharks are not mindless killers, as they are often portrayed in the media, but a very important part of the food chain. Shark extinction could have devastating consequences for marine ecosystems. The welfare of these animals should also be at the forefront of our minds if we like to spend our holidays looking at colourful underwater reefs. Sharks regulate coral-eating fish populations, the overgrowth of which could have devastating consequences for reefs.

source: x-ray.mag.com

Photo: bushwarriors.wordpress.com