Shark deaths due to fishing have increased in recent years despite an international effort to reduce the harvesting of their fins, says a new study that included contributions from Canadian researchers.
The study, published in the journal Science, shows that the number of global fishing-related shark deaths rose to 80 million per year from 76 million between 2012 and 2019; however, during that same period the number of laws aimed at combating the practice known as shark finning — amputating a shark’s fins and tail before throwing the carcass back into the water — increased tenfold.