NGO reveals mutilation of live sharks by fishermen for fin trade

A cruel and illegal practice of mutilating live sharks before throwing them back into the sea has been documented along the coast of West Africa. The complaint, made by the NGO Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) in a report published on Thursday, July 16, 2026, highlights that the action contributes to the decline of populations and fuels the lucrative trade in fins with Asia.

The fin route to Asia

EJF analysis reveals that, on board tuna vessels, mainly Chinese and Taiwanese, fishermen cut the fins of sharks that are still alive. After removal, the mutilated animals are returned to the ocean, where their chance of survival is minimal. The valuable fins, in turn, are mainly destined for the port of Dakar, in Senegal. From there, the material is shipped to Asia, where it is used to prepare soups, a dish considered a delicacy.

Global bans and the Senegalese port

Although the practice of cutting off shark fins and disposing of the shark’s body, often alive, is largely prohibited by several international conventions and regulations in several countries, West Africa has become a flashpoint. Dakar, one of the busiest fishing ports in Africa, is named in the EJF report as a center for illegal landing of these fins. The presence of dozens of Chinese and Taiwanese-flagged tuna boats has contributed to the continuation of this illicit activity in recent years.

The survey by the NGO Environmental Justice Foundation

The Environmental Justice Foundation study focused on the tuna longline fishing fleets of China and Taiwan, two of the largest to operate offshore in the Atlantic. Researchers interviewed 124 fishermen of Indonesian and Filipino origin who worked on these vessels between the years 2020 and 2025. Findings include:

• Of the 130 vessels authorized by tuna fishing regulatory bodies, 71 docked in Dakar during the period analyzed.
• The testimonies indicated that 41 ships practiced fin cutting.
• Of these, 24 landed illegal material in the Senegalese port.

Difficulties in supervision and sector rules

Senegal is a member of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), a body that regulates fishing for tuna and related species in the region. ICCAT prohibits the transport of certain species of shark and states that the total weight of fins on board must not exceed 5% of the total weight of the sharks. This rule aims precisely to discourage the practice of finning. However, EJF’s head of oceanographic research, Callum Nolan, suggests the actual number of occurrences is likely higher as the report’s data only includes explicit mentions during interviews.

Reports from fishermen about the illegal operation

One of the fishermen interviewed by EJF, 29-year-old Jamaludin from Indonesia, shared his experience aboard a Chinese tuna vessel between 2018 and 2020. He reported that the crew dismembered sharks daily at sea, with the vessel often carrying more fins than whole carcasses.

The unloading of the fins was done discreetly, often at night, to avoid inspection. Other statements in the report confirm the preference for nighttime, when the presence of inspectors at the port is lower. Cheikh Ndiaye, inspector at Senegal’s Fisheries Protection and Inspection Directorate, recognized the difficulty and importance of “having as many international observers as possible” to combat the activity.