​Sharks have survived 5 periods of mass-extinction... will they be able to survive the humans?​

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Shark fin has become a major trade in the black markets around the world.

The export of shark products has doubled from 1990 to 2003.

In 2009, fins sold for 300$/lb, which makes it one of the most expensive fish-product in the world. For trophy species such as Great White or Basking shark, a single fetch can be worth 10'000 to 20'000 US$. Estimates of global value lie between 540 Million US$ and 1.2 Billion US$.

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Because of the lucrative profits and the alleged size of market, there are allegations of links to organized crime.

Poachers illegally fin millions of sharks each year. Scientift studies show that annually 100 Million sharks are finned plus additionally 50 Millions are caught as by-catch (that's a total of around 400'000 per day). In developing countries, 1 kg of shark fin can earn them as much as 1 month's salary.

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There is so much money to be made with shark finning that only trafficking of drugs rivals fins in profit.

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Fin soup is a status symbol in Asian countries, and is considered healthy and full of nutrients. Hong Kong handles at least 50% of the global market. Europe contributes around 1/3 of the imports to Hong Kong, with Spain being the main provider; it delivers between 2'000 and 5'000 tons per year.

Sharks are also killed for meat, but the FDA lists sharks as one of four fish whose high mercury content is hazardous to children and pregnant women.

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Major declines in shark stocks have been recorded - some species have been depleted by over 90% over the past 20-30 years. The rapidly expanding and largely unregulated shark fin trade represents one of the most serious threats to shark populations world wide. 

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Many governments and the UN have acklowledged the need for shark fisheries management, but little progress has been made due to their low economic value, the small volumes of products produced and mostly the shark's poor public image.

Moreover, International waters are unregulated.

International fishing authorities are considering banning shark fishing and finning in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Finning is banned in the Eastern Pacific, but remains unabated in most of the Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

There are no controls to make sure the laws are followed.

There are only very few governments that enforce laws to protect the sharks; and even then, some governments are corrupt and paid by the shark finning lobby.

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In countries such as Thailand or Singapore, public awareness advertisements on finning have reportedly reduced consumption by 25%.

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