The two-and-a-half-metre shark was found dead with its fins missing on Kewarra Beach by local resident Chris Lloyds on Monday morning.

"It was obviously a confronting sight knowing that the only reason that that beautiful creature was dead was because someone had cut off all its fins," Mr Lloyds told the ABC.

"A rather sad indictment of society, particularly [in] our area which boasts the [Great Barrier Reef]. It was quite sad."

The incident is being investigated by Fisheries Queensland which has warned recreational and commerical fishers that shark-finning attracts fines between $455 and $910.

If a person is found to have finned more than one shark they may be prosecuted, the department said.

Shark fin is used in predominantly Chinese cooking, chiefly in shark fin soup, and is considered a delicacy.

Shark fins can sell for as much as $1000. Prices can reach up to $700 per kg of dried, skinless fin.