End Wasteful Shark Finning

Shark finning is the practice of retaining shark fins and discarding the remaining carcass while at sea. The practice is against the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and its International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks, as well as the resolutions of a number of other international marine bodies, all of which call for minimizing waste and discards.

There are major uncertainties about the total quantity and species of sharks caught, and shark finning has added to this problem.

ISSF has called on industry to adopt policies against finning. All tuna fishery operators should prohibit shark finning, and should retain, land, and report all sharks caught, except for species that are prohibited by national law or RFMO regulations, or those individuals that are released alive.