Every year, in oceans around the world, tens of millions of sharks are hunted to meet the demand for shark fin soup, an East Asian dish which is traditionally served at weddings or New Year celebrations. You can help stop the killing: Take our No Shark Fin pledge.
Shark fin soup is cruel and wasteful. Fins removed, the animals are thrown back into the water to die slowly and painfully.
Finning is not only inhumane; it allows sharks to be caught in unsustainable numbers. Apex predators, sharks play an essential role in marine ecosystems. Shark finning endangers their survival—and that of the species that rely on them. In addition, shark fin has been shown to contain dangerous levels of mercury.
HSI is reaching out to the public, restaurants and other businesses to educate people about this issue. Raising awareness is key; many say they never realized what impact their consumption had on the environment.
News
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May 24, 2012
HSI/Canada and Fin Donnelly, Member of Parliament, Present Special Screening of "Sharkwater" for World Oceans Day
HSI/Canada and Fin Donnelly, Member of Parliament, offered a special screening of the film "Sharkwater" for World Oceans Day.
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May 22, 2012
Port Moody Becomes First British Columbian Municipality to Pass Ban on Shark Fin Trade
HSI/Canada and other leading animal protection groups applaud the recent decision by the Port Moody, British Columbia City Council to ban the trade, sale and distribution of shark fin products in the municipality.
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May 17, 2012
Shark Advocates Join New York City Council Member Margaret Chin to Rally for State Legislation to Protect Sharks and Oceans
A coalition of animal welfare, environmental and conservation organizations joined City Council Member Margaret Chin to announce her resolution in support of the state legislation to end New York’s contribution to the dire collapse of shark populations worldwide.
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April 25, 2012
Environmental and Humane Groups Praise Costa Rica for Groundbreaking Proposal on the International Protection of Hammerhead Sharks
Humane Society International, along with partner organizations, commended Costa Rica for taking the lead in the international protection of oceanic wildlife by listing the Sphyrna lewini species of hammerhead sharks within the Appendix III of CITES.