The regulated global catch of sharks reported to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has been stable in recent years at an annual average just over 500,000 tonnes. In the United States, where finning is prohibited, some buyers regard the whale shark and the basking shark as trophy species, and pay $10,000 to $20,000 for a fin. Shark fins are among the most expensive seafood products, commonly retailing at US$400 per kg. Estimates of the global value of the shark fin trade range from US$540 million to US$1.2 billion (2007). The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Shark Specialist Group say that shark finning is widespread, and that "the rapidly expanding and largely unregulated shark fin trade represents one of the most serious threats to shark populations worldwide". Shark fin soup substitutes have lately also appeared on the market which do not require any shark fins. Shark finning increased since 1997 largely due to the increasing demand for shark fins for shark fin soup and traditional cures, particularly in China and its territories, as a consequence of its economic growth, and as a result of improved fishing technology and market economics. Many countries have banned this practice and require the whole shark to be brought back to port before removing the fins. Shark finning at sea enables fishing vessels to increase profitability and increase the number of sharks harvested, as they must only store and transport the fins, by far the most profitable part of the shark the shark meat is bulky to transport. Unable to swim effectively, they sink to the bottom of the ocean and die of suffocation or are eaten by other predators. The sharks are often still alive when discarded, but without their fins. This act is prohibited in many countries. Shark finning is the act of removing fins from sharks and discarding the rest of the shark back into the ocean. Shark fins on display in a pharmacy in Yokohama, Japan
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