Britain exports more than 50 tonnes of shark fins in two years

More than 50 tonnes of shark fins worth hundreds of thousands of pounds have been exported from Britain over the past two years, a Greenpeace UK investigation has revealed.

Campaigners are calling on the government to ban these exports which are fuelling the global demand for shark fin soup.

The majority of sharks in European and UK waters are being caught by Spanish vessels, according to the report by the organisation’s investigative journalism unit.

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Sharks are being landed in the UK, and their fins are then sent to Spain, one of the world’s biggest shark fin exporters, the campaign group said. From there they are sold on to meet demand – largely in certain Asian countries – where shark fin soup is considered a delicacy.

Referring to data from HMRC, Greenpeace said shark fins valued at more than £300,000 were sent to Spain since 2017.

Shape Created with Sketch. Endangered sharks being served up in British fish and chip shops Show all 6 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Endangered sharks being served up in British fish and chip shops 1/6 Scalloped hammerhead shark Scalloped hammerhead shark fins were among those found being sold by an Asian food retailer in the UK. These sharks are endangered, and in parts of the Atlantic Ocean, their populations have declined by over 95% in the past 30 years. Istock/Janos 2/6 Spiny dogfish In the samples of takeaway fish and chips sampled, spiny dogfish made up 90% of those sold under the names huss, rock salmon and rock eel. Doug Costa, NOAA/SBNMS 3/6 Shortfin mako shark Another vulnerable species found in the dried shark fins tested in the British Asian wholefood retailer was the shortfin mako shark. Istock/Alessandro De Maddalena 4/6 Blue shark Blue shark was also found on sale in UK shops. This species is not as vulnerable as the others but is still listed as "Near Threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Istock/Howard Chen 5/6 Nursehound Around a quarter of the sharks being sold in UK fishmongers were nursehounds, another relatively safe species that is nevertheless classified as near threatened. Mario Antonio Pena Zapatería 6/6 Misleading names in fish shops The scientists behind the study investigating the prevalence of endangered shark meat on sale concluded that shops must stop selling these species under "umbrella terms" that hide their true origin. Istock 1/6 Scalloped hammerhead shark Scalloped hammerhead shark fins were among those found being sold by an Asian food retailer in the UK. These sharks are endangered, and in parts of the Atlantic Ocean, their populations have declined by over 95% in the past 30 years. Istock/Janos 2/6 Spiny dogfish In the samples of takeaway fish and chips sampled, spiny dogfish made up 90% of those sold under the names huss, rock salmon and rock eel. Doug Costa, NOAA/SBNMS 3/6 Shortfin mako shark Another vulnerable species found in the dried shark fins tested in the British Asian wholefood retailer was the shortfin mako shark. Istock/Alessandro De Maddalena 4/6 Blue shark Blue shark was also found on sale in UK shops. This species is not as vulnerable as the others but is still listed as "Near Threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Istock/Howard Chen 5/6 Nursehound Around a quarter of the sharks being sold in UK fishmongers were nursehounds, another relatively safe species that is nevertheless classified as near threatened. Mario Antonio Pena Zapatería 6/6 Misleading names in fish shops The scientists behind the study investigating the prevalence of endangered shark meat on sale concluded that shops must stop selling these species under "umbrella terms" that hide their true origin. Istock

Will McCallum, head of oceans at Greenpeace UK, said: “Many people will be gobsmacked to hear that Britain is fuelling a controversial global trade threatening a majestic predator that’s vital to life in our oceans.

“With tens of millions of sharks being killed every year, the UK government should do all it can to protect these creatures, starting with a ban on shark fin exports.

“We are campaigning for limits on shark fishing and also at the UN for a strong Global Ocean Treaty which will help shark populations recover from decades of overfishing and provide greater protection for marine life in our seas.”

Graham Buckingham, from shark conservation organisation Bite Back, told Unearthed: “The sheer volume of shark fins being exported by the UK is a shocking indication that global demand for shark fin soup remains high and that sharks from EU waters are paying the price.”

A Defra spokeswoman said: “The UK has a strong track record in marine conservation and we led the charge to ban shark finning across the European Union and pressing for stronger international action.

“While we’re a member of the EU it is not possible to introduce additional restrictions on shark fin trade, but leaving the EU will give us an opportunity to consider further controls.”

Earlier this year it was revealed British customers were unwittingly eating critically endangered shark species when they visit their local fish and chip shop.

Hammerhead sharks and dogfish were among the vulnerable varieties on offer in British outlets. Scientists found 90 per cent of products sold as huss, rock salmon and rock eel at chip shops were in fact the globally threatened spiny dogfish.

The University of Exeter team warned that such “umbrella” sale terms were being used to disguise the identity of these endangered sharks.