although blue sharks are among the most abundant, widespread, and fast growing shark, they are one of the most heavily fished sharks in the world. with an estimated 10 to 20 million individuals caught and killed each year, there is concern not only about what this is doing to blue shark populations, but also about the effect the removal of such an important predator might have on the oceanic ecosystem. blue sharks are one of the most important species in the international shark-fin trade. however, their meat, while eaten in a few countries, is not very popular. the blue shark is listed as near threatened by the iucn.