Shark safeguards: Elevating EU controls on shark trade

Sharks are vital for ocean health and local livelihoods, yet global demand for shark products and a lack of catch and trade management is driving shark populations to extinction. The European Union (EU) plays a significant role, importing over 160,000 metric tonnes of shark products and exporting over 169,000 metric tonnes, with the total import value at over EUR 374 million and total export at over EUR 518 million in value.  

Covering import to and export from EU Member States to all countries worldwide, Shark safeguards: Elevating EU controls on shark trade highlights the urgent need for greater controls on the trade in shark products. The report examines both the legal trade data reported by the 27 Member States and the illegal trade data as registered in the EU Trade in Wildlife Information eXchange database (EU-TWIX). 

Executive summary is available here in English, Dutch, Spanish and French.