Posts tagged Shark conservation
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
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