Posts tagged Shark
Australian consumers encouraged to “give flake a break.”
Australian consumers encouraged to “give flake a break.”

The Australian Marine Conservation Society is urging consumers to stop the consumption of flake – a common term used for shark meat. Loopholes in Australia’s national environmental laws unfortunately allows for the ongoing commercial harvest of endangered sharks.

Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 marine species that are listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered are classified as “no take” species - representing species that cannot be sold or exported. However, there are eight marine species that are listed as “conservation dependent” meaning that they can still be commercially harvested.

Courtesy of Arial Ng.

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Kim McCoyShark, Shark conservation, Flake, Environment, Endangered SpeciesComment
Hong Kong makes first major maritime smuggling bust for 2021.
Hong Kong makes first major maritime smuggling bust for 2021.

Hong Kong Customs and Excise have made their first major maritime smuggling bust for 2021, with more than HK$4 million worth of illicit wildlife products being seized. According to authorities, the contraband was destined for Shekou, Guangdong, and included dried shark fins and seahorses, likely to be derived from endangered species.

Courtesy of Marco Poon

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Kim McCoyShark, Shark Fin, Say No To Shark Fin, Endangered Species, Seahorses, Illegal Wildlife Trade, Illegal WildlifeComment
Hong Kong customs seize almost 2 tonnes of dried shark fins
Hong Kong customs seize almost 2 tonnes of dried shark fins

On 9 November, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise department seized 1.9 tonnes of dried shark fins (valued at HK$1.4 million) believed to have been cut from endangered shark species in a container arriving in Hong Kong from Indonesia.

In related news, Florida became the 15th state in the Unites States to ban the shark fin trade. The Kristin Jacobs Ocean Conservation Act (SB680) recently signed into law, means a ban for shipping shark fins across state borders as well as the import or shipping of international fins through Florida, but still allows local fishermen to continue fishing.

Courtesy of Daphne Ng.

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Kim McCoyShark, Shark Fin, Wildlife Crime, OSCO
The Cost of a Covid-19 Vaccine: The Lives of 500,000 sharks.
The Cost of a Covid-19 Vaccine: The Lives of 500,000 sharks.

Shark’s produce a natural compound called squalene in their liver to help regulate their buoyancy. Sharks that live in deeper water tend to have more oil in their livers. An estimate by the conservation group Shark Allies has suggested that as many as 500,000 sharks may be harvested in order to create enough COVID-19 vaccines to distribute globally, if synthetic alternatives to squalene are not created.

Courtesy of Christopher Jay.

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Kim McCoyShark, Shark conservation, Covid-19, Squaelene, VaccinationComment