Healthy oceans, safe future: stop the toxic shark trade

Why is this important?

270,000 sharks are killed every day. That’s three every second. [1] And with every single shark killed, the fragile balance of the ocean crumbles a little more.

Sharks are the guardians of the seas. For millions of years, they’ve kept marine life in check - helping coral reefs breathe, fish populations recover, and the ocean stay alive. But now, more than one in three shark species is threatened with extinction. [2]

And Europe is a big part of the problem.

Spain, Portugal, France and Italy are among the world’s largest exporters of shark meat. Our supermarkets, hospitals and schools still sell it [3] - often under hidden names like rock salmon or dogfish. Every fillet on a shelf means another animal pulled from the sea, often brutally killed.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Austria has already banned all shark products - proving that change is possible and that Europe can choose protection over profit. [4]

By banning all shark products from the EU, we can follow that lead - protecting sharks, the ocean, and the future of life on Earth.

But this isn’t only about saving sea life - it’s also about our health.

Nearly two-thirds of shark samples tested in European supermarkets contained unsafe levels of mercury - in some cases four times above the legal limit. [5] Worse still, EU rules allow twice as much mercury in shark meat as in any other fish. [6]

Memory loss, tremors, loss of coordination and even permanent brain damage - these are just some of the symptoms of mercury poisoning. [7] Consumers are being left unprotected and unaware, while a dangerous industry keeps putting our health and oceans at risk. [8]

But we are here to say STOP. Will you add your name today to protect our sharks - and ourselves?

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