Finning Endangers Sharks, Ocean Ecosystem

For millions of years, sharks were at the top of the food chain, keeping marine ecosystems in balance. But today, sharks are in trouble.

High demand for shark fin soup means sharks are hunted more than ever. They're caught, stripped of their fin, and thrown back into the ocean to die.

In fact, nearly 100 million sharks are killed every year and almost a third of shark species are threatened or near threatened with extinction. The declining shark population could lead to unintended consequences in marine ecosystems, such as the collapse of commercially and ecologically important fish populations.

Since 2009, Pew's Global Shark Conservation Campaign has helped countries establish shark sanctuaries in their oceans. While these countries are taking meaningful action on shark conservation, more needs to be done around the globe.