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OPS is working to protect sharks and rays worldwide.
Over 70 million sharks are killed in commercial and recreational fisheries annually. Hundreds of shark species are considered threatened by targeted finning operations and accidental bycatch in commercial fisheries. The international demand for shark fins is the primary driving force behind most shark fisheries and their continuing decline.
The trade in shark fins is decimating populations of sharks and rays worldwide.
Sharks are long-lived and slow to reproduce. This means vulnerable populations recover slowly once depleted.
OPS is working to tighten shark finning regulations and reduce the demand for shark products. Join us!
Unsustainable fisheries threaten sharks and rays worldwide.
Thousands of sharks and rays are caught by targeted fisheries annually for their meat, fins, and other products. Thousands more may be caught incidentally as bycatch in industrial and traditional fisheries targeting other fish species.
Read moreRacing Extinction
Racing Extinction exposed the largest whale shark slaughterhouse in China. The film details the global shark fin trade, estimated in the millions of dollars. Many shark species have declined by more than 90 percent.
WatchTake Action
Protect Sharks
While shark finning is illegal in US waters, fins are still bought and sold here.
OPS Victories
International Shark Protection at CITES
After Racing Extinction exposed the trade, OPS helped secure protections for 20 species of sharks and rays under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in 2016.
Partner Campaigns
Manta Ray Conservation in Lamakera, Indonesia
A community transition program has been launched to empower locals to adopt sustainable industries instead of manta hunting.
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