Health Risk Assessment of Globally Consumed Shark-Derived Products

Barcia, Laura García; Wothke, Aljoscha; Fanovich, Lanya; Mohammed, Ryan S.; Shea, Stanley K. H.; González, César Antonio Otero; Cai, Yuanqiang; Chapman, Demian D.

doi:10.1007/s12403-022-00500-5

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…While still above the maximum allowed mg/kg concentrations in some instances, the maximum mg/kg values we report are frequently much lower than those reported in previous studies. For example, the maximum reported mercury concentration in fins from nine species of shark collected in Hong Kong were between 8 and 55 mg/kg, , significantly higher than our values and well above safe consumption limits. Similar high values have been reported in shark meat and fin samples collected from the Galapagos Islands, Djibouti, and the Atlantic; the same studies also report similar patterns for cadmium, lead, and arsenic.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 82%

Analysis of Toxic Metals Found in Shark Fins Collected from a Global Trade Hub

Chan,

Gowidjaja,

Urera

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci. Technol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

As human activities release increasingly more fossil fuel-derived emissions directly into the atmosphere, terrestrial, aquatic, or marine ecosystems, the biomagnification and bioaccumulation of toxic metals in seafood is an ever more pressing concern. As apex predators, sharks are particularly susceptible to biomagnification and bioaccumulation. The consumption of shark fin is frequent throughout Asia, and their ingestion represents a pathway through which human exposure to potentially unsafe levels of toxic metals can occur. Shark fins processed for sale are difficult, if not impossible to identify to the species level by visual methods alone. Here, we DNA-barcoded 208 dried and processed fins and in doing so, identified fourteen species of shark. Using these identifications, we determined the habitat of the shark that the fin came from and the concentrations of four toxic metals (mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and lead) in all 208 samples via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We further analyzed these concentrations by habitat type, either coastal or pelagic, and show that toxic metal concentrations vary significantly between species and habitat. Pelagic species have significantly higher concentrations of mercury in comparison to coastal species, whereas coastal species have significantly higher concentrations of arsenic. No significant differences in cadmium or lead concentrations were detected between pelagic or coastal species. Our results indicate that a number of analyzed samples contain toxic metal concentrations above safe human consumption levels.

show abstract

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 82%

Analysis of Toxic Metals Found in Shark Fins Collected from a Global Trade Hub

Chan,

Gowidjaja,

Urera

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci. Technol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Consumption is concentrated in two states, Goa and Tamil Nadu, and in restaurants serving regional cuisines suggesting a focused conservation campaign or policy to regulate consumption in these states could have a large conservation impact. Such uneven patterns of elasmobranch consumption mirrors research findings from across Asia, Europe and South America (García Barcia et al, 2022). Tamil Nadu has long been one of the top elasmobranch fishing states in India (CMFRI, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Regional hotspots and drivers of shark meat consumption in India

Karnad,

Narayani,

Kottillil

et al. 2023

Conservat Sci and Prac

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Over one third of shark and ray (henceforth elasmobranch) species are threatened by global extinction. Overfishing, driven largely by human consumption of various products is a key threat to >95% of threatened elasmobranch species. The local consumption of elasmobranch meat is an emerging driver of these fisheries particularly in the Global South. Very little data exists on local elasmobranch meat consumption and restaurants offer a useful insight into patterns of consumption. We examined local elasmobranch consumption in India, which has the world's third highest elasmobranch catches. We surveyed 2649 seafood restaurants across 10 coastal states and found that two states alone accounted for 70% of all restaurants serving shark meat. Nine percent of all seafood restaurants advertised elasmobranch meat. 251.6 tonnes, equivalent to 9.8% of India's annual landings, is sold every year in India's restaurants. The drivers of these sales are local cultural affinities and regional cuisines, with evidence of new and evolving consumption pathways, in states like Goa. In Goa, the state with the highest prevalence of elasmobranch meat on restaurant menus, consumption by locals, as well as consumption of “baby sharks” by tourists was driving the demand for elasmobranch meat. Small‐bodied and juvenile sharks of threatened species are at risk from local meat consumption. Elasmobranch meat consumption can be reduced by targeting interventions in the regional hotspots of maximum consumption, substituting other types of seafood as alternatives in regional cuisines, bycatch reduction, increased price and seafood consumer awareness campaigns. Preliminary findings suggest that focusing on the health implications of eating species that concentrate heavy metals will produce the greatest decreases in elasmobranch meat sales at India's restaurants.

show abstract

Section: Heavy Metalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The occurrence of toxic levels of mercury (Hg) and other heavy metals (e.g. cadmium, Cd; lead, Pb; arsenic, As) in the muscle, liver and/or fins of some shark species has been known for a long time (Berges‐Tiznado et al, 2021; García Barcia et al, 2022; Martins et al, 2021; Shipley et al, 2021; Souza‐Araujo et al, 2021; data in the Table S2). Different regulatory agencies, including FAO, WHO, EU, EPA and Food Standards Australia New Zealand, have specified maximum allowable limits (MALs) of heavy metals through the development of safety guidelines.…”

Section: Human Health and Consumption Of Shark Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumption of shark products: The interface of sustainability, trade (mis)labelling, human health and human rights

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Sharks and rays evolved 450 million years ago, during the Late Ordovician Period. However, during the modern Anthropocene, shark populations have declined at considerable rates, and recent global assessments indicate about one in three species is threatened with extinction. A notable reason for this elevated extinction risk is overfishing linked to increased demand for shark fins and other products. Here, we review multiple dimensions of consuming shark products, ranging from stock sustainability, product (mis)labelling and trade, the human health implications of consuming shark products, and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and slavery and labour abuses in the fishing industry. We conclude that traceability and increased transparency in seafood supply chains is essential to overcome obstacles to consumption of sustainable, ethical and healthy shark products. We also provide a decision tree outlining steps in consumer choice that would foster such consumption. Our aim is to provide a holistic view on issues concerning the consumption of shark products that will help policymakers, the public, management and law enforcement agencies to advocate for ecologically‐ and ethically sustainable consumption of shark products and thereby empower the general public to make informed decisions on which shark products they consume.

show abstract

Health Risk Assessment of Globally Consumed Shark-Derived Products

Cited by 7 publications

References 38 publications

Analysis of Toxic Metals Found in Shark Fins Collected from a Global Trade Hub

Analysis of Toxic Metals Found in Shark Fins Collected from a Global Trade Hub

Regional hotspots and drivers of shark meat consumption in India

Consumption of shark products: The interface of sustainability, trade (mis)labelling, human health and human rights

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About