INTRODUCING THE SHARKULATOR
Although WWF and other NGOs have been campaigning for over a decade to reduce the unsustainable consumption of shark fin soup in Asia, nobody was able to estimate how many sharks and rays could actually be saved when consumers chose to go fin-free. Development of any methodology to estimate that was hindered by the lack of relevant market data as well as large diversity of shark species, animal sizes, and types of fins that ended up in soup.
WWF Sharkulator is a new science-based methodology to estimate how many individual sharks can be saved based on the number of bowls of shark fin soup not consumed. By visualising the impact of their decision to go fin-free on these increasingly threatened marine creatures, we hope that WWF Sharkulator will encourage more people to say no to shark fin soup and as a result, support our long-term work to reduce the unsustainable demand for shark fin in Asian markets.
To get started, enter the number of bowls of shark fin soup not consumed into the Sharkulator tool on this page and click the “SAVE SHARKS” button. For example, if you attended a wedding banquet where shark fin soup was served but you chose not to eat it, you can count how many sharks you have “saved”. If your company is planning to organise a corporate dinner in the future and no shark fin soup will be served, our tool will tell you how many sharks your company will “save”. Try out the tool now – the data you enter is not being recorded.
WWF Sharkulator is now available in English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia, and Bahasa Malaysia.
Click on the image to view a high-resolution version.
SHARKULATOR METHODOLOGY
Our Sharkulator methodology behind the tool is based on six calculation steps, starting from the number of bowls of shark fin soup, through key product and weight conversions, to a live shark equivalent. The methodology focuses on producing an estimate for blue shark (Prionace glauca) as it is by far the most abundant species in the global shark fin trade.
We have also applied product data from Hong Kong, which was collected during a dedicated research project conducted by WWF-Hong Kong in 2011. Hong Kong is not only world’s largest shark fin trade hub but also one of the largest consumers of shark fin per capita.
The intention of WWF Sharkulator is to provide science-based conversion estimates, primarily for public communications around shark fin demand reduction, and potentially for monitoring of impact, rather than for management or regulatory purposes where a higher degree of accuracy may be required. As better data becomes available, incorporating those into the conversion process may allow for increased accuracy and representativeness of the conversion estimates, and thus an expanded range of application.
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THE WWF SHARKULATOR STORY
Want to find out more about why and how we developed the WWF Sharkulator? Click on the button below to read the latest blog by Dr. Andy Cornish sharing the-behind-of-scenes of our Sharkulator journey.
Historic first rebuilding programme adopted for the endangered shortfin mako shark
(23 November 2021) After years of negotiations, today 52 tuna fishing nations and the EU adopted a comprehensive rebuilding programme to allow the recovery of the endangered mako shark in the North Atlantic. WWF welcomes the plan as the most efficient way to immediately stop the overfishing and dramatic decline of shortfin mako sharks and set the species on a path towards recovery. The decision came at the end of the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) held virtually from 15 to 23 November.
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Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador and Colombia announce new protections for the Eastern Tropical Pacific marine corridor at COP26
During the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, presidents of four Latin American countries announced a joint agreement to provide greater protection to the existing marine corridor in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Stretching from the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador to Isla Coiba in Panama, the corridor is an important "ocean highway" for marine wildlife, including the critically endangered scalloped hammerhead sharks.
See WWF-LAC Press Release
Our 2020-2021 shark and ray conservation highlights
Welcome to the latest update on the progress we are making together to help conserve sharks and rays around the world. Here is a snapshot of some of the fin-tastic things you've helped us achieve in 2020-2021, from discovering a new shark and ray hotspot in Fiji, to testing an innovative method of keeping these animals out of the nets in India, to assisting seven different countries with their national conservation plans for sharks and rays. Enjoy the read!
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