Basking Sharks have been fished heavily for many years. Primarily hunted for its liver oil, Basking Sharks have also been hunted for their meat, cartilage and fins. Despite the majority of Basking Shark fisheries closing, some areas still target them, mainly for Asian markets.

 

The liver of Basking Sharks account for up to 25% of the body weight and contains a very substantial amount of oil. This oil is extremely rich in vitamin A and has been used as a lubricant for machinery, to tan leather and as lamp oil. Currently, Basking Shark livers are sold as an aphrodisiac and an ingredient in heath food products and the oil from the livers are used as a base for cosmetics.

 

Currently Basking Sharks are a prohibited species within the EU meaning that it is prohibited for Community vessels to fish for, to retain on board, to tranship and to land them in all Community and non-Community waters. However as the image above demonstrates they are still occasionally landed - this one was landed in Greece.

 

 
Basking Shark fins, because of their size, are incredibly valuable in Asia as the eponymous ingredient in shark’s fin soup – essentially a tasteless broth containing bland and chewy fin pieces which is flavoured or has ingredients added to make it more tasteful.

 

The popularity of sharks fin and other associated shark products in East Asia has led to the continuation of shark fisheries and Basking Sharks are still caught in nets or harpooned, however, due to their continued exploitation Basking Shark fisheries worldwide have all but collapsed.

 

 

All well-documented Basking Shark fisheries have shown similar trends of high initial catches followed by a depletion of stock and the long term closure of the fishery. For example the fishery at Achill Island, Ireland took over 12 000 Basking Sharks between 1947 and 1975 before the fishery became uneconomical and closed. Due to Basking Sharks very long gestation and maturation periods combined with probable low fecundity and population size the global decline in numbers has not reversed and remains low today.

 

Aside from the impact of fisheries, Basking Sharks are also susceptible to disturbance and harassment by water users. In the excitement of observing these fantastic creatures there are often reports of Basking Sharks being struck by boats or Jet Ski’s or being intimidated by water users

 For example read this article from the Guardian from June 2006.