European Union shark fin exports fell sharply in 2025, after reaching a peak the previous year, according to data published on Monday 8 June by Eurostat.
The EU exported 2,700 tonnes of fins to third countries, worth €44.8 million. In volume terms, exports fell by 15.2% compared with 2024, while their value declined by 31.3%.
This drop comes after a sharp increase between 2023 and 2024, when volumes had more than doubled. 2024 thus marked a peak, after several years of decline linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
At the end of 2023, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) added 60 shark species to its protection list. These new rules require exporters to provide more checks and documents. At the same time, the European Commission stepped up monitoring of trade patterns. Exports remain almost exclusively destined for Asia. Singapore and China alone accounted for more than 80% of volumes in 2025. Blue shark fins continue to dominate trade by a wide margin, ahead of mako shark fins.
More details: https://aeur.eu/f/m89 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)