WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a formal petition asking the National Marine Fisheries Service to identify and potentially sanction China for failing to meet U.S. shark conservation standards. Each year Chinese-flagged vessels catch and discard thousands of sharks in offshore waters, yet China still lacks comprehensive protections to prevent shark finning.
“China catches so many sharks that stronger shark conservation policies in the country could actually save these incredible creatures from extinction. We’re asking the United States to use every tool at its disposal to make that happen,” said Alex Olivera, a senior scientist at the Center. “Sharks have survived for hundreds of millions of years, and it would be a tragedy to lose them in our lifetime. We've already lost more than two-thirds of the world’s oceanic sharks and rays in just the past five decades. These animals absolutely can’t withstand this level of overfishing.”
China operates the world's largest high seas fishing fleet, and Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, remains the world’s largest shark fin trading hub. Chinese-flagged vessels frequently catch sharks as bycatch, and in some cases target sharks, including critically endangered oceanic whitetip and endangered shortfin mako sharks. Shark bycatch is common in China’s tuna fisheries, which operate across multiple oceans.
Under the U.S. Moratorium Protection Act, the National Marine Fisheries Service must identify nations whose fishing fleets catch sharks on the high seas but fail to adopt shark conservation measures comparable to U.S. law. The United States prohibits shark finning and requires that sharks be brought to port with their fins naturally attached to ensure compliance. U.S. law also totally bans the possession, transport and sale of shark fins and fin products, with narrow exceptions.
While China has banned shark finning, it has not met the other U.S. requirements across all its fisheries. If NMFS identifies China as potentially violating the MPA’s standards, the law requires consultations and a certification decision within two years. If the agency certifies that China has not adopted comparable conservation measures, the president can direct agencies to restrict U.S. imports of Chinese seafood.
Industrial fishing has reduced oceanic shark populations by more than 70% since 1970, and more than one-third of all shark and ray species are now threatened with extinction. An estimated 80 million sharks are caught each year, with much of the catch driven by demand for shark fins.
Today’s petition cites official data submitted by China that documents catches and discards of sharks across several oceans. In the western and central Pacific alone, Chinese vessels discarded more than 10,000 blue sharks and nearly 1,700 shortfin mako sharks in 2023. Discarded sharks may die of their injuries and stress, even when fins are not removed.
A 2025 peer-reviewed study found fins in Hong Kong markets from four internationally regulated species, with 80% of exporting nations having never reported any such trade — a clear indicator of continued illegal activity. Hong Kong customs officials made multiple seizures exceeding 1 metric ton each in 2023 and 2024.
