Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus)
Found far from shore, the oceanic whitetip shark’s range spans entire oceans. Oceanic whitetips are now rarely seen, although previously considered one of the most widespread and abundant sharks.
Oceanic whitetip sharks fall victim to the longlines and gillnets of commercial fisheries in the open ocean, both as a target and bycatch. Their large fins are valuable in the shark fin trade. They are considered “Vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List. Some studies suggest a 98 percent decline in just 30 years.
Through our efforts on international fisheries, Oceana works to prevent the unsustainable fishing for and the finning of oceanic whitetip sharks.
