Fernando Faciole
Born for the Ocean, Fated to the Flames
Incineration of shark fins after seizure, Brazil, 2025
Category - Humanity vs Nature
The hunting and trade of shark fins are among the main threats to marine biodiversity and the balance of ocean ecosystems. In Brazil, enforcement authorities have revealed a recurring pattern of fraud, with shipments repeatedly containing protected and critically endangered species. In 2023, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) carried out the largest shark-fin seizure ever recorded in the country, 28.7 tonnes, corresponding to the death of at least ten thousand sharks, including threatened species. As biological materials, these fins are required to be incinerated after official processing. This photograph records the incineration carried out in São Paulo in 2025, under IBAMA supervision. The act symbolises both the enforcement of environmental law and the urgent need for public policies capable of ending a trade that turns apex predators, essential to the health of the oceans, into waste consigned to flames. In a historic milestone, IBAMA announced a nationwide ban on the export of shark fins on Thursday, 26 March 2026. Brazil also banned the import of any shark classified as a threatened species on its official list.
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70 mm f/2.8 Lens - 1/200 sec at f/9 ISO 400