Shark facts and statistics

14. Sharks don't have vocal cords. Unlike dolphins and whales, they cannot communicate with each other using sound. Instead, they communicate through shaking their heads, butting heads, and swimming in zigzags.

15. Sharks can enter a trance. Called tonic immobility or animal hypnosis, they enter this state when flipped upside down. It is the same response opossums have when they are 'playing possum'. It's unknown why exactly this response occurs in sharks, but some scientists hypothesise that it might have to do with mating.

IFAW is working to support sharks by putting limits into place to manage the trade and catch that is driving shark declines worldwide.

For over a decade, we have partnered with member countries of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to achieve limitations on the trade in nearly 100 threatened species -ensuring any continued trade in sharks is legally and sustainably sourced (this is known as an Appendix II listing of the Convention).

Listed species are provided robust regulation, monitoring, and enforcement of sustainable trade limits by governments all over the world. CITES management prioritizes the identification and seizures of illegal shipments of shark products, as well as driving better fisheries management at the national level-leading to effective reductions in shark and ray mortality worldwide.

IFAW also provides support to action on these regulations, such as identification and enforcement trainings, as well as the development of technical tools as governments seek to enact CITES listings for sharks at home.

By focusing on sustainable trade limits for shark species, we hope these listings will provide a global framework to prevent the shark trade from driving species towards extinction, and individual countries can then make decisions on trade and fisheries based on the health of populations in their waters.

In addition, IFAW is working around the world to mitigate climate change by promoting wildlife and marine conservation as a nature-based climate solution. As sharks balance the food chain, ensure biodiversity, and keep our marine ecosystems healthy, they help make our planet more resilient to climate change. Working with governments, stakeholders, and local communities, IFAW aims to create a better future for animals, people, and the planet.