Turning the Tide on the Global Shark Fin Trade, from Our Bowl to the World

The pier of Tanjung Luar Port, Lombok, Indonesia is alive before dawn. Boats return heavy with their catch, and fishermen haul lifeless sharks onto the cold tiles of the market floor. These sharks were once rulers of the seas. Now, they are reduced to commodities, destined for distant markets to supply the global shark fin trade. For the fishermen, the catch means income. For the sharks, it means a vanishing population. For the world, it signals an unfolding ecological crisis.

Global Shark Fin Trade: Indonesia and Beyond

Indonesia’s shark fisheries are a microcosm of a global issue. Over the past two decades, the country has recorded the highest shark landing worldwide, with fins fetching up to US$100 a kilo in the international market. As the world’s largest-shark fishing nation, Indonesia holds the fate of 117 shark species due to implications beyond its shores in the global shark fin trade.

The shark fin trade fuels overfishing, dwindling the shark population and impacting the health of oceans worldwide. As apex predators, sharks maintain marine ecosystem balance. Their decline allows mid-level predators to overpopulate and disrupt coral reefs and fisheries.

Moreover, the issue is not solely environmental. Ocean degradation ultimately reverberates into the coastal economy, threatening food security, tourism, and the livelihood of communities worldwide.

The shark fin trade itself is a source of livelihood for many. In Indonesia, shark fishing sustains thousands of coastal families, often in regions with few economic alternatives. Research on eastern Indonesia’s shark fisheries reveals that restricting access to shark-rich waters without alternative livelihood pushes fishers toward illegal or low-yield fishing, exacerbating poverty and transferring pressure to other species and areas.

The tension between protecting the ecosystem and sustaining human survival is a complex and persistent one. Despite efforts in halting the exploitative shark fin trade, unsustainable practices remain rampant. The absence of strong, coordinated trade regulations still allow threatened sharks to flood international markets, with Hong Kong as a major hub.

Halting the Trade

However, things are not hopeless just yet. Effective shark conservation demands a multifaceted approach, linking policy, livelihoods, and global collaboration.

Firstly, conservation starts with people. It is crucial to incentivize alternative sustainable livelihood for coastal communities. In Alor, for instance, Thresher Shark Indonesia trains fishers in fish processing and product SME development, assisting them in reaching new markets and obtaining halal certification. Meanwhile, the StAR project in Raja Ampat aims to restore the zebra shark population not only for ecological health but also economic opportunity, boosting marine ecotourism in the region. Scaling these efforts through microfinance, capacity development, and market access can reduce reliance on shark fishing while strengthening local economies.

Furthermore, international cooperation is vital. Shark swims across international waters, necessitating collaborative, transboundary actions and policies among neighboring countries. Initiatives like the Coral Triangle Initiative demonstrate how regional cooperation can safeguard marine biodiversity across six countries. By coordinating management strategies, harmonizing policies, and sharing knowledge and resources, countries can strengthen monitoring and enforcement on the ground.

The shark fin trade persists due to ongoing global demand for shark fins as delicacy. However, evidence demonstrates that awareness campaigns can shift consumer behaviour. In Hong Kong, people have shown a cultural shift about shark fin after sustained campaigns, increasingly viewing them as non-essential. Similarly, a study in Singapore highlights how  strategic awareness and market interventions can alter consumer preferences about shark fin. By curbing demand, campaigns can directly weaken the shark fin trade, supporting global initiatives to preserve the global shark populations and strengthen international trade regulations.

A Unified Tide for Change

The fate of Indonesia’s sharks is a mirror reflecting global truth. After all, our waters are connected, and the health of our oceans is inseparable from the choices we make on land. Consumers, coastal communities, the private sector, governments, and international organizations are all key actors. Ultimately, making responsible choices and building frameworks that support them are the essence of our collective efforts to save the sharks, our oceans, the planet, and its people.

Editor: Nazalea Kusuma

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Danny Purwandaya

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Danny is passionate about biodiversity conservation and ecosystem protection. He has an academic background in regional economic development and hands-on experience in wildlife rehabilitation and the marine zoological sector.

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