Global protections fail to stop illegal shark fin trade

An extensive investigation using DNA analysis has revealed that international regulations designed to protect endangered sharks are failing on a massive scale. A new study published in Science Advances provides compelling evidence that the global trade in shark fins is rife with illegal activity, with fins from protected species being sold in huge volumes, indicating widespread non-compliance with existing treaties and a systemic failure of enforcement by signatory nations.

The research highlights a dramatic disconnect between the trade officially reported by countries and the reality of what is being sold in the world’s largest shark fin markets. Scientists discovered that for some critically endangered species, the vast majority of the trade is illegal and goes completely undocumented. This sustained, unmanaged trade threatens the survival of many shark populations, which are already facing extinction due to overexploitation, and undermines the primary international agreement meant to prevent it.

Genetic Evidence Exposes Illegal Trade

Investigators utilized DNA barcoding to analyze over 16,000 shark fins collected from markets in Hong Kong between 2015 and 2021. The results showed that 6.5% of the samples came from species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international treaty signed by 185 countries to ensure that trade does not threaten the survival of wildlife. The study found that the volume of fins from protected species in the marketplace was significantly higher than what is officially reported in CITES trade records.

The most alarming discrepancy was found for the oceanic whitetip shark, a critically endangered species. Fins from this shark appeared 70 times more frequently in market samples than in the official CITES trade data, leading researchers to conclude that over 95% of the trade in this species is likely illegal. Similarly, fins from protected hammerhead shark species were found to be 10 times more common in the trade than reported. This genetic evidence paints a grim picture of a black market operating in plain sight, far outpacing the legal, regulated trade system.

Hong Kong’s Role as a Trade Epicenter

The study confirms Hong Kong’s long-held status as the global hub for the shark fin trade, processing about half of the world’s volume annually. Despite some shipping companies establishing policies against carrying shark fins, the trade volume has not decreased. The research team’s DNA analysis definitively linked fins being sold in Hong Kong to specific countries of origin. Many of these nations, however, had officially reported zero exports of the CITES-listed species found in the markets. This points to a major breakdown in reporting and enforcement, allowing fins from illegally caught sharks to enter the global supply chain and be traded internationally with impunity.

Breakdown of Global Treaty Enforcement

The CITES treaty is the world’s most powerful tool for protecting species from trade-driven extinction. Species listed on its Appendix II, which includes many sharks, can only be traded if the exporting country certifies that the products were obtained legally and sustainably. Species on Appendix I are banned from all commercial trade. However, the study reveals that these regulations are being routinely violated. Researchers found that 81% of the 90 nations known to export shark fins to Hong Kong have never reported any trade in the protected species that were studied, despite their fins being present in the market.

This persistent non-compliance highlights a critical weakness in the CITES framework: it relies on member countries to honestly report their trade and enforce the rules. According to the study’s authors, the data shows a systemic failure to uphold these international safeguards, which have been in place for sharks for over a decade. Without robust enforcement and accountability, the protective measures offered by the treaty are rendered ineffective.

Overexploitation and Conservation Risks

The rampant illegal trade is a primary driver of overexploitation, which has left more than one-third of all shark species threatened with extinction. The demand for fins, largely for shark fin soup, has created a lucrative market that incentivizes unsustainable and illegal fishing practices. An estimated 80 million sharks were killed in 2021, many for their fins alone. This level of removal, particularly of apex predators, risks the integrity and health of marine ecosystems globally. The failure to control the fin trade not only endangers sharks but also the broader oceanic environments they help to regulate.

Strengthening Protections for Survival

In light of their findings, researchers and conservationists are calling for immediate and stronger actions to curb the illegal trade. Recommendations include the broader application of CITES compliance mechanisms to hold non-compliant countries accountable. Experts also advocate for strengthening protections from outside the CITES framework, such as implementing mandatory species-level customs codes for fins, which would make illicit shipments easier to identify, and increasing the use of genetic monitoring at major trade hubs.

Some conservationists argue that certain critically endangered species, like the oceanic whitetip shark, should be moved to CITES Appendix I, which would enact a complete ban on international commercial trade. They point to the successful recovery of species like the green turtle after it received Appendix I protection as a model for what could be achieved for sharks. Without urgent and decisive action to enforce existing laws and strengthen global regulations, many of the world’s most threatened shark species may be pushed to extinction.

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