Bundles of shark fins.                                     U.S. Coast Guard

According to some estimates, between 50 and 100 million sharks are killed each year around the world. Many of these sharks are unintended "bycatch" by vessels fishing for high-value species such as swordfish and tuna, but every year, millions of sharks are increasingly a target for their extremely valuable fins. Read the frequently asked questions about shark finning and learn more about:

• How shark decline impacts ocean ecology.
• The species in peril.
• The international, and often illegal, trade in shark fins.
• The public health risk of shark fin products.
• Countries that have shark finning regulations.
• International regulations and recommendations to address shark finning.

Take the No Shark Fin Pledge

Help stop needless cruelty and save endangered species: Say NO to shark fin products.

Sharks, because they are extremely slow to mature, are not like any other fish. Decisions about the world's remaining shark populations, management schemes, fishery regulations and trade regimes will affect species for decades to come. Learn more about:

• Shark biology and the catastrophic consequences of ignoring it.
• The collapse of fishery targeted shark populations.

Virtually all large shark species are in steep decline as a result of poorly managed domestic and international fisheries. There are few products made from sharks for which some other ingredient cannot be substituted. Learn more about:

• The shark products contributing to this decline.

Updated May 31. 2007