Fragile Hope takes the shark fin fight to Brussels
In 2025, the European Union exported approximately 2,700 tonnes of shark fins to countries outside the EU, worth €44.8 million.
Singapore and China were the two largest markets, together accounting for more than 82 per cent of the export value. Eurostat reports that EU shark fin exports went almost exclusively to Asian countries.
On 29 September, Fragile Hope founder Joakim Odelberg will speak at the European Parliament in Brussels on shark protection and the shark fin trade.
The European Citizens’ Initiative Stop Finning – Stop the Trade collected 1,119,996 verified statements of support from EU citizens, reaching the required national thresholds in 15 countries. It became the eighth successful European Citizens’ Initiative.
Odelberg has been part of the wider campaign for several years, helping to build public support for an end to the trade.
“What surprises me is that we are still debating this. The science is clear. We know the pressure sharks are under. We understand their importance to marine ecosystems, and yet the trade continues. That is unacceptable. If that evidence does not change what we continue to allow, then the problem is no longer lack of knowledge.”
— Joakim Odelberg, Founder, Fragile Hope Foundation
What happens next
Stop Finning – Stop the Trade was formally submitted to the European Commission on 11 January 2023. A public hearing followed at the European Parliament in March, and the initiative was debated in plenary in May. The Commission issued its formal response in July that year.
Since then, the Commission has been assessing further measures on the shark fin trade, while also working on improved trade data, stronger enforcement and international shark conservation.
An external study was completed in March 2026. The European Commission says its impact assessment is expected in late 2026 and will determine the next steps.
The stakes extend far beyond trade figures. A major global study published in Nature found that the abundance of oceanic sharks and rays declined by 71 per cent between 1970 and 2018, with increased fishing pressure identified as the main driver.
For Fragile Hope, the position is clear.
Protection that exists only on paper is not protection.
