Sharks have been swimming in earth seas for more than 450 million years, but certain species of sharks in difficulty can be found on the shelves of the grocery store, on the fish markets and even sold online. Meat of shark species at risk of extinction is always available for sale in the United States, despite the best efforts of the legislator.
“We found critical dangers in danger Borders in marine science. “Of the 29 samples, 93% were labeled ambiguous as” shark “and one of the two products labeled at the level of the species was poorly labeled.”
In the new study, a medico -legal class of seafood at the UNC bought 30 different shark products – 19 raw steaks and 11 saccaded Shark packages. All items have been bought on the Internet or in stores in Washington DC, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia. The team then used DNA bar coding to determine the species of each product. This genetic proof was then compared to the product label.
Almost all the samples were labeled ambiguously and did not indicate the specific shark species. Some also had pain. One was sold as Blacktip Shark (designated as vulnerable), while it really contained meat from Mako Shortfin endangered.
From their sample, 31% proved to come from four endangered species or in danger criticizing: Great Hammerhead, Hammerhead, Tope and Shortfin Mako Shark. The others came from seven other species, including the vulnerable spinner, the lemon, the common drummer and the black shark. Only one of the sampled products came from a least worrying species, the Atlantic Sharpnosis Shark.
“Sharks such as the great and scorching hammers are the equivalent of the Lions of the Ocean, and we were shocked by the way the meat of these rare and long lifespan predators was sold,” added Ryburn. “Some samples only cost $ 2.99 per book.”
In addition, three of the species found in this study (scalloped hammers, large hammers and dark sharks smoothly) are known to contain high levels of arsenic, methylmercurus and mercury. Methylmercurus and mercury can damage the brain and the central nervous system, while the arsenic can cause cancer.
According to the International Union of Nature Conservation (IUCN), out of approximately 550 species of sharks in existence, 14% are vulnerable, 11% are threatened and 12% critically in danger.
[ Related: How to operate on a shark in 10 minutes or less. ]
The Convention on International Trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) and the endangered species law is some of the laws in place to regulate sales of shark meat. Under Cites, 74 shark species are considered at risk and prohibited or highly regulated, but the reality is more troubled. The legality of the sale of shark meat in the United States depends mainly on where the shark has been captured and what species. Fishing for large shark species is only as a function of the location. As these captures reach the market, they are often sold as nets and do not have their usual distinctive characteristics. It makes it difficult, if not impossible, for consumers to know what they really eat.
For consumers, precise labeling is essential to keep sharks in a critical way of shelves and dinner plates.
“In the United States, sellers should be required to provide specific names to species, and when shark meat is not a need for food security, consumers should avoid buying products that lack labeling in terms of species or traceable supply,” said Ryburn.
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