Eating Shark Fin Dishes Will Be Difficult... Strengthened International Regulations on Shark Trade

About 100 Million Sharks Die Annually Due to Shark Finning
CITES Expands Protection for Sharks, Main Ingredient of Shark Fin
"Top Predator in Marine Ecosystem... Also Affects Securing Food Resources for Humanity"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Sung-wook] International trade involving sharks, the main ingredient in shark fin dishes, will be more strictly regulated. This is because indiscriminate shark overfishing can have adverse effects on marine ecosystems.

According to the Washington Post on the 19th (local time), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) recently voted among member countries to ban or restrict international trade of almost all shark species used as the main ingredient in shark fin soup. Of the 88 member countries participating in the vote, the majority supported expanding shark protection, while 29 countries opposed and 17 abstained. Opponents included major consumers such as China, major international trading hubs like Hong Kong, as well as Japan and Indonesia.

Following this decision, member governments will issue permits to verify that traded sharks were caught legally, and without this permit, trade will be prohibited. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) stated, “Sharks are long-lived animals that take a long time to mature and reproduce, making them highly vulnerable to overfishing. As top predators in marine ecosystems, a significant decline in their population can greatly impact the entire marine ecosystem. Ultimately, this could make it difficult for humanity to obtain food and other resources from the ocean.”

According to WWF, 36% of sharks worldwide are endangered, yet demand for shark fin dishes continues to rise. It is estimated that about 100 million sharks die annually due to shark finning, where fins are cut off for shark fin dishes. The practice has sparked controversy, especially after it was revealed that sharks are often discarded alive back into the sea, unable to move and sinking to the seabed to die. Last month, a petition to ban shark fin trade within the European Union (EU) surpassed one million signatures.

Sue Lieberman, Vice President of International Policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), commented on the decision, saying, “The proportion of shark species protected has increased from the previous 20-25% to 90-95%. This is a monumental decision not only in terms of the range of protected shark species but also in the scale of restricted international trade.”