Ban shark meat! Protect our oceans and our health
To the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the European Union
Petition
We call on you to:
- Equal health standards for all fish: Align the legal limit for methylmercury in shark and ray meat with that of other predatory fish, reducing it from 1.0 mg/kg to 0.5 mg/kg.
- Ban shark meat: Ban the sale of shark and ray products that exceed EU limits for toxic substances.
- Ensure transparency and traceability: Make labelling of species, origin, and toxin levels mandatory for all seafood products and increase official controls.
- Take responsibility through cooperation: Strengthen collaboration between EU health, environment, and fisheries authorities to reduce global shark and ray trade and support marine protected areas.
Why is this important?
Memory loss. Tremors. Loss of coordination. Vision and hearing problems. Irreversible brain damage. [1]
These are some of the symptoms of mercury poisoning. And a new study shows that shark meat sold in Europe contains alarming and illegal levels of it. [2]
Nearly two-thirds of samples tested in supermarkets and restaurants across Europe had unsafe levels of mercury, some four times above what’s considered “safe”. This toxin builds up in the body and attacks the nervous system.
Yet EU law still allows twice as much mercury in shark and ray meat as in other fish - leaving consumers unprotected and unaware. [3]
Why? Because Europe is one of the biggest shark traders in the world. [4] This double standard keeps contaminated products on our plates - and keeps a dangerous, destructive trade alive.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Austria has already banned all shark products, proving that change is possible. [5]
Sign now to tell the EU that it must act to protect our health - and the ocean we depend on.
References:
[1] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mercury-and-health
[2] https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/report-finds-dangerous-mercury-levels-highlights-mislabeling-in-shark-meat-sold-in-euevels-mislabeling-in-shark-meat-sold-in-eu/
https://lenews.ch/2025/10/17/shark-meat-sold-under-misleading-names-contains-dangerous-mercury-levels/
[3] https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/chemical-safety/contaminants/catalogue/mercury_en
[4] https://www.wwf.mg/?4039391/WWF-The-global-trade-in-shark-and-ray-meat-is-a-business-worth-over-2-billion-euros
[5] https://www.sharkproject.org/en/press-release/austria-largely-bans-shark-products/