International trade regulations take a limited bite out of the shark fin trade

International trade is a major driver of shark overexploitation. In 2013, five threatened shark species were listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species to regulate global trade and promote recovery. Once listed, any uncertified, unreported export of these species became illegal. Minimal trade was reported from 2015 to 2021, yet fins from four of these species were common in the world's largest shark fin hub (Hong Kong) throughout this period, indicating substantial and sustained illegal trade. Seventy three of 90 shark fin-exporting nations (81%) have never reported any trade of these species. Mixed stock analysis of a market sample of fins from one listed species revealed six populations of origin but only three were from regions where trade was reported. Broader application of CITES compliance mechanisms is necessary to combat widespread illegal trade of shark fins and realize the conservation potential of these trade regulations.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Science Advances
Published
2025-11-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adz2821
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Ichthyology and Marine Biology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
4.63
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

International trade regulations take a limited bite out of the shark fin trade

Kevin A. Feldheim, Luke Warwick, Stanley K. H. Shea, Stephan W. Gale et al.
2 citations
Science Advances
Ichthyology and Marine Biology
4.63
article

International trade regulations take a limited bite out of the shark fin trade

Kevin A. Feldheim, Luke Warwick, Stanley K. H. Shea, Stephan W. Gale, Daniel Fernando, Elizabeth A. Babcock, Demian D. Chapman, Feng Yang, Diego Cardeñosa, Akshay Tanna, Huarong Zhang
article en
2 citations

Abstract

International trade is a major driver of shark overexploitation. In 2013, five threatened shark species were listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species to regulate global trade and promote recovery. Once listed, any uncertified, unreported export of these species became illegal. Minimal trade was reported from 2015 to 2021, yet fins from four of these species were common in the world's largest shark fin hub (Hong Kong) throughout this period, indicating substantial and sustained illegal trade. Seventy three of 90 shark fin-exporting nations (81%) have never reported any trade of these species. Mixed stock analysis of a market sample of fins from one listed species revealed six populations of origin but only three were from regions where trade was reported. Broader application of CITES compliance mechanisms is necessary to combat widespread illegal trade of shark fins and realize the conservation potential of these trade regulations.

Science AdvancesVol. 11(45)
Wildlife Conservation Society (US), University of Miami (US), Florida International University (US), Mote Marine Laboratory (US), Tai Po Hospital (CN), Field Museum of Natural History (US), Hong Kong Opto-Mechatronics Industries Association (CN), Blue Resources Trust (LK), The Queen's Foundation (GB)
Openalex Percentile: Top 5%
Ichthyology and Marine Biology
4.63
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.