Blue shark (Prionace glauca)
Blue sharks are one of the most wide-ranging and previously abundant shark species. Now, they are the most heavily fished shark in the world. An estimated 10-20 million individuals are killed by pelagic fisheries annually, mostly as bycatch.
Blue shark meat is beginning to replace swordfish in many Mediterranean countries and the fins are commonly used in shark fin soup. The Mediterranean population shows a 97 percent decline since the mid-20th century, and the North Atlantic population shows a 50-70 percent decline. Blue sharks are also targeted for production of leather, fishmeal and liver oil.
Through our efforts on international fisheries, Oceana works to prevent the unsustainable fishing for finning of blue sharks.
