Despite regulations intended to stem the tide of the illegal trade of threatened shark species, international exports continue on a massive scale.

What's happening?

In a study published in the journal Science Advances, a team of researchers detailed the rampant exporting of shark fins. International regulations have been put in place to protect wildlife, but they have had a limited impact on the shark fin trade due to a massive and persistent illegal market that manages to work around existing rules. 

This includes the 2013 listing of five shark species in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The move was intended to help control global trade and ultimately support the shark species' recovery. After their listing, exporting these sharks without proper certification or reporting became illegal. 

However, despite being added to Appendix ll, fins from four of the protected species, including the hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks, were still commonly found in markets throughout Hong Kong. In many cases, countries that export shark fins simply did not report any legal trade of these species. 

Why is the illegal export of shark fins important?

In a news release detailing the study's findings, experts weighed in on the impact the shark fin trade can have on these species, especially since over 80% of nations that exported shark fins to Hong Kong between 2014 and 2022 did not report any trade of the protected shark species to CITES.    

"Oceanic whitetip fins are 70 times more common in the trade than documented by CITES, and hammerheads are 10 times more common," said Demian Chapman, shark expert and co-author of the study. "It has been this way since 2014 and unless countries take stronger actions these species may be doomed." 

The continued and undocumented trade of protected shark species has the potential to disrupt countless marine ecosystems, which may jeopardize biodiversity. Since sharks are apex predators that help maintain the health and balance of ocean food webs, their extinction could affect numerous species thanks to diminished food sources and habitats. 

What's being done to slow down illegal wildlife trade?

"CITES is the strongest global tool we have to ensure wildlife trade isn't driving species toward extinction. When it's implemented well, it works — but more is clearly needed to ensure it works for sharks," said Luke Warwick, Director of Shark and Ray conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society and a co-author on the study. 

The effectiveness of CITES relies on strict implementation and monitoring by all member countries. Without proper reporting, the trade of shark fins from protected species can continue to threaten their survival. But as Warwick explains, there are plenty of examples of species returning from the brink of extinction thanks to their protected status. 

"Forty years ago, green turtles were critically endangered and listed on Appendix I. The global trade stopped, and their populations have rebounded all over the world, and they are no longer endangered. That's the power of CITES," Warwick added. 

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