Sierra A Mar in Brussels… making waves
We’re proud to share that this week, Sierra A mar Executive Director, Stefanie Brendl, has been in Brussels to champion a landmark measure to protect sharks. As a lead advocate representing a coalition of ocean conservation foundations, Brendl is pressing European lawmakers to end the trade of shark fins within and through EU countries and territories. The effort stems from the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “Stop Finning — Stop the Trade,” a unique tool of direct democracy, allowing EU citizens to petition the European Commission to propose new laws and which has galvanized public support across the continent and placed shark conservation firmly on the European legislative agenda.
Scientists have long warned of the alarming decline in shark populations. A landmark study published in Nature (2021) reported that oceanic shark and ray populations have plummeted by more than 70% since 1970, largely due to overfishing and targeted hunting. While sharks are harvested for their meat and liver oil, the fin trade remains the leading threat. A 2013 study in Marine Policy estimated that about 100 million sharks are killed each year, while later analyses suggest that the real figure may be as high as 273 million annually.
The European Union plays a major role in this global issue. Conservation groups such as Oceana and recent investigations by The Guardian (2023) have reported that up to 40% of shark fins exported to Asian markets, particularly Hong Kong, originate from Europe.
Launched in 2020, the “Stop Finning — Stop the Trade” initiative reached a historic milestone by collecting over 1.1 million verified signatures from citizens across at least seven EU member states in just two years. This achievement demonstrates the growing public demand for decisive action to protect sharks and, by extension, the health of marine ecosystems.
For Brendl, this moment is the culmination of decades of advocacy. In 2010, she was a key architect of the historic Shark Fin Trade Ban in Hawaii — the first legislation of its kind worldwide — which sparked a wave of similar protections across the Pacific, the United States, and Canada.
“Sharks are vital to ocean health,” Brendl said before departing for Brussels. “The EU has a chance to lead the way in ending a destructive trade that drives many shark species toward extinction.”
“The EU has a chance to lead the way in ending a destructive trade that drives many shark species toward extinction.”
Despite their critical ecological role and their value as eco-tourism attractions, sharks remain under threat in many parts of the world. For instance, in Mexico, where shark tourism is a growing source of income for coastal communities, the trade in shark fins remains legal — underscoring the urgent need for international collaboration to safeguard these apex predators.
As the European Parliament considers the next steps for the “Stop Finning — Stop the Trade” initiative, conservationists see this as a pivotal opportunity to change the course for sharks and the oceans they help sustain.
Photography Credits: François de Ribaucourt
