Various species of sharks — some of which are endangered, while others are listed as vulnerable — are hauled on shore at dawn at the Tanjung Luar port on June 9, 2025, in East Lombok, Indonesia. Tanjung Luar is one of the largest shark markets in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, from where shark fins are exported to other Asian markets — primarily Hong Kong and China — and their bones are used in cosmetic products also sold to China.

A rare look at one of the world’s most critical and understudied environmental crises. Southeast Asia produces more than half of the world’s fish, yet its waters are among the most depleted and contested.

(Image credit: Nicole Tung)

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR