They’re fast, fierce, and vital to the ocean’s health—but they’re vanishing. Each year, an estimated 100 million sharks are killed globally. Many are victims of longlines, gillnets, and bottom trawls. Others are slaughtered to satisfy rising demand for meat, cartilage, oil, and especially fins, fueling a billion-dollar global trade, Shark Guardian reports.

Shark finning—the brutal practice of slicing off fins and discarding the body at sea—has faced widespread bans. But regulations targeting finning may have created new problems. By requiring fishers to keep entire sharks, countries may have accidentally encouraged a boom in shark meat sales, according to a major study published in Science.

Around 100 million sharks are killed by humans each year.

From Fins to Flesh: The Shift in Shark Demand

Global shark mortality from fishing increased from 76 million in 2012 to 80 million in 2019, despite stronger laws. Of these, 25 million are from threatened species. Experts interviewed for the study described the unintended rise of shark meat markets as a key reason mortality rates have not dropped, Smithsonian Magazine reports.

Much of the meat makes its way into consumer products—sometimes unlabeled or disguised under other names. A study in England found that 90% of samples from fish-and-chip shops contained spiny dogfish, a vulnerable shark species.

Roughly 25 million of the sharks killed each year are threatened species.

High Seas, High Stakes

In the Pacific, the toll is playing out in real time. A Spanish longline vessel operating north of New Zealand was recently caught hauling in multiple endangered mako sharks within 30 minutes, according to The Guardian. Greenpeace intervened, releasing 14 animals and removing 20 kilometers of deadly longline gear.

The vessel’s owner defended the catch as legal, citing EU quotas and proper documentation. Yet the volume is staggering: over 600,000 kg of blue sharks were caught by that vessel alone in 2023. According to Greenpeace, that’s nearly half a million blue sharks taken as bycatch in the Pacific last year—the highest total since 1991.

Longline and gillnet fishing are major drivers of shark deaths.

Misunderstood Monsters

The public often fears sharks, but shark attacks are extremely rare. In 2024, there were only 47 unprovoked bites globally, with just four fatalities Florida Museum of Natural History reports. Most bites occurred during swimming or surfing, and the vast majority were non-fatal. Meanwhile, humans are killing sharks at rates thousands of times greater.

These apex predators play a critical role in balancing marine ecosystems. As top-level carnivores, sharks keep populations of other species in check. Their disappearance can disrupt food webs and imperil fish stocks many coastal communities depend on, The Guardian reports.

Shark finning bans have not reduced overall shark mortality.

Solutions That Can’t Wait

Some regions are showing what works. Banning shark fishing outright has led to a 40% drop in mortality where enforced, according to Live Science. Sanctuaries in places like the Bahamas and Palau have turned sharks into valuable ecotourism assets, creating economic incentives to protect them.

Still, the clock is ticking. More than one-third of all shark and ray species are now threatened with extinction, IUCN Shark Specialist Group confirms. Without bold, coordinated action—stricter catch limits, better enforcement, and increased public awareness—sharks may vanish from much of the world’s oceans.

This crisis is not just about saving a species. It's about protecting the health of the ocean itself. And without healthy oceans, we risk far more than the loss of these ancient predators.