US Seafood Imports Face Potential Ban as Petition Targets China’s Shark Finning Practices
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A Billion-Dollar Trade Risk
The United States could be facing a significant disruption in its seafood supply chain as a new legal push seeks to sanction China over its systemic use of shark finning. A formal petition filed this month by the Center for Biological Diversity argues that Beijing’s failure to adhere to American conservation standards warrants a total ban on Chinese seafood imports—a market valued at approximately $1.5 billion.
At the center of the dispute is the Moratorium Protection Act. If the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) determines that China has violated the act by failing to prevent the brutal practice of finning, the U.S. executive branch would have the authority to trigger sweeping sanctions. Shark finning—where fins are sliced from a living animal and the carcass is discarded at sea—has been outlawed in the U.S. since 2000, yet reporting suggests it remains a lucrative, covert operation within China’s massive distant-water fishing fleets.
The ‘Math Game’ of Regulation
The crux of the conflict lies in how conservation is measured. While the U.S. and over 90 other jurisdictions require fishers to land sharks with their fins naturally attached, China utilizes a ratio-based system. Under Chinese regulations, fins may be removed as long as they do not exceed a specific percentage—typically 5%—of the shark’s total body weight upon landing.
Conservationists argue this loophole renders enforcement nearly impossible. “Once the fins are separated from the bodies, inspectors have a nightmare of a time figuring out which fin belongs to which shark,” said Alex Olivera, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. Olivera notes that the current system transforms legitimate law enforcement into a “math game,” allowing crews to discard protected species or dump bodies overboard without leaving a traceable trail.
The scale of the issue is reflected in official data. In 2023 alone, Chinese crews in the western and central Pacific regions discarded more than 10,000 blue sharks and nearly 1,700 shortfin mako sharks. These animals are often tossed back into the ocean, unable to swim or breathe, leading to a slow death.
Reporting from the High Seas
The reality on the decks of these vessels is often far removed from official government narratives. Recent investigations by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) involving interviews with migrant workers have painted a grim picture of the industry. In the Southwest Indian Ocean, 80% of interviewed crew members on Chinese distant-water vessels admitted to engaging in shark finning.
One Indonesian fisher, who worked on a Chinese squid vessel in 2022, described a routine where entangled sharks were lifted from the water, fins were immediately severed, and the remaining bodies were returned to the sea. The demand is driven by a relentless appetite for shark fin soup and traditional medicinal products across East and Southeast Asia, fueling a half-billion-dollar offshore supply chain.
Beijing’s Response
The Chinese Embassy in Washington has maintained a diplomatic distance from the specific allegations. In a statement, a spokesperson asserted that China is “deeply committed to science-based conservation” and adheres to international law and the requirements of regional fisheries management organizations. However, the spokesperson admitted the government was “not familiar” with the specific petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and did not specifically address the threat of U.S. sanctions.
While the shock value of finning often dominates the headlines, marine biologists warn that it is part of a larger systemic collapse. According to the Shark Trust, 100% of shark species are currently impacted by overfishing, with 67% of shark and ray species facing overfishing as their only recorded threat. The petition argues that unless the world’s largest fishing fleet adopts a “fins naturally attached” policy, the ecological damage may become irreversible.
