Driven largely by the shark fin trade, many species of sharks are threatened with extinction. As a major shipper between the USA and Asia, Fed Ex is responsible for killing millions of sharks by facilitating the shark fin trade. Each year, fins from as many as 73 to 100 million sharks enter the global market.
As a result, 25% of shark and ray species are on the brink of extinction.
The majority of these shark fins bleed through global ports including the United States and are exported to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and China. Given the myriad and unsustainable threats that sharks face, we must take action to ensure these animals will remain an integral part of our oceans. Corporations and consumers share the responsibility for a heatly ocean.
Eliminating the shark fin trade removes one of the biggest impediments to the continued survival of endangered shark species like hammerhead and oceanic white-tip sharks.
Fed Ex Profits From Shark Finning
Overfishing sharks motivated by the high fin value and shark finning are the major causes driving sharks towards extinction. Although shark finning is illegal in the USA, the sale and trade of fins is still allowed in most US states and shark fins are imported and re-exported thereby contributing to shark finning and other illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing of sharks. The trade in shark fin is increasing shark catch, placing more pressure on threatened species and is driving overfishing of many shark species.
We call on Fed Ex CEO Raj Subramaniam to do the right thing for ocean health and future generations, stop profiting on extinction and join other carriers like UPS and DHL to stop the unsustainable shark fin trade.
David McGuire, Executive Director Shark Stewards
The transfer and transport of shark fin mixes endangered species, protected species and illegally finned shark fins with legally caught animals, and thereby contributes to decline of shark species globally. We call on Fed Ex to join 35 airlines and carriers including UPS, DHL and Air China and stop facilitating this unsustainable trade of endangered and threatened sharks and stop the shipment of shark fin.