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Selena Shen KL, Cheow JJ, Cheung AB, Koh RJR, Koh Xiao Mun A, Lee YN, Lim YZ, Namatame M, Peng E, Vintenbakh V, Lim EX, Wainwright BJ. DNA barcoding continues to identify endangered species of shark sold as food in a globally significant shark fin trade hub. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16647. [PMID: 38188178 PMCID: PMC10771092 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Shark fins are a delicacy consumed throughout Southeast Asia. The life history characteristics of sharks and the challenges associated with regulating fisheries and the fin trade make sharks particularly susceptible to overfishing. Here, we used DNA barcoding techniques to investigate the composition of the shark fin trade in Singapore, a globally significant trade hub. We collected 505 shark fin samples from 25 different local seafood and Traditional Chinese Medicine shops. From this, we identified 27 species of shark, three species are listed as Critically Endangered, four as Endangered and ten as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Six species are listed on CITES Appendix II, meaning that trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival. All dried fins collected in this study were sold under the generic term "shark fin"; this vague labelling prevents accurate monitoring of the species involved in the trade, the effective implementation of policy and conservation strategy, and could unwittingly expose consumers to unsafe concentrations of toxic metals. The top five most frequently encountered species in this study are Rhizoprionodon acutus, Carcharhinus falciformis, Galeorhinus galeus, Sphyrna lewini and Sphyrna zygaena. Accurate labelling that indicates the species of shark that a fin came from, along with details of where it was caught, allows consumers to make an informed choice on the products they are consuming. Doing this could facilitate the avoidance of species that are endangered, and similarly the consumer can choose not to purchase species that are documented to contain elevated concentrations of toxic metals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jin Jie Cheow
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | | | - Yun Ning Lee
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yan Zhen Lim
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Maya Namatame
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Eileen Peng
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Elisa X.Y. Lim
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Benjamin John Wainwright
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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2
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Chan KH, Gowidjaja JAP, Urera MQ, Wainwright BJ. Analysis of Toxic Metals Found in Shark Fins Collected from a Global Trade Hub. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:12620-12631. [PMID: 37582282 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c02585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiat Hwa Chan
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, 16 College Avenue West, Singapore 138527, Singapore
- NUS College, National University of Singapore, 18 College Avenue East, Singapore 138593, Singapore
| | | | - Mariana Quesada Urera
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, 16 College Avenue West, Singapore 138527, Singapore
| | - Benjamin J Wainwright
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, 16 College Avenue West, Singapore 138527, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Singapore
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Pan Z, Ge B, Wei M, Elango J, Wu W. Isolation and Biochemical Properties of Type II Collagen from Blue Shark ( Prionace glauca) Cartilage. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:md21050260. [PMID: 37233454 DOI: 10.3390/md21050260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have shown that type II collagen (CII) has a potential role in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. However, most of the current studies have used terrestrial animal cartilage as a source of CII extraction, with fewer studies involving marine organisms. Based on this background, collagen (BSCII) was isolated from blue shark (Prionace glauca) cartilage by pepsin hydrolysis and its biochemical properties including protein pattern, total sugar content, microstructure, amino acid composition, spectral characteristics and thermal stability were further investigated in the present study. The SDS-PAGE results confirmed the typical characteristic of CII, comprising three identical α1 chains and its dimeric β chain. BSCII had the fibrous microstructure typical of collagen and an amino acid composition represented by high glycine content. BSCII had the typical UV and FTIR spectral characteristics of collagen. Further analysis revealed that BSCII had a high purity, while its secondary structure comprised 26.98% of β-sheet, 35.60% of β-turn, 37.41% of the random coil and no α-helix. CD spectra showed the triple helical structure of BSCII. The total sugar content, denaturation temperature and melting temperature of BSCII were (4.20 ± 0.03)%, 42 °C and 49 °C, respectively. SEM and AFM images confirmed a fibrillar and porous structure of collagen and denser fibrous bundles formed at higher concentrations. Overall, CII was successfully extracted from blue shark cartilage in the present study, and its molecular structure was intact. Therefore, blue shark cartilage could serve as a potential source for CII extraction with applications in biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Pan
- Department of Marine Pharmacology, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Baolin Ge
- Department of Marine Pharmacology, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Mingjun Wei
- Department of Marine Pharmacology, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Jeevithan Elango
- Department of Marine Pharmacology, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
- Department of Biomaterials Engineering, Faculty of Health Sciences, UCAM-Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia, Guadalupe, 30107 Murcia, Spain
- Center of Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics (COMManD), Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 600 077, India
| | - Wenhui Wu
- Department of Marine Pharmacology, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
- Marine Biomedical Science and Technology Innovation Platform of Lin-Gang Special Area, Shanghai 201306, China
- Putuo Branch of International Combined Research Center for Marine Biological Sciences, Zhoushan 316104, China
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Cardeñosa D, Robles YL, Ussa DA, del Valle CM, Caballero S, Chapman DD. Pre‐export shark fin processing to conceal
CITES
‐listed species: a case‐study from a shark fin seizure in Colombia. Anim Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- D. Cardeñosa
- Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University North Miami FL USA
| | - Y. L. Robles
- Laboratorio de Identificación Genética Forense de Especies Silvestres Dirección de Investigación Criminal e INTERPOL Policía Nacional Bogotá Colombia
| | - D. A. Ussa
- Laboratorio de Identificación Genética Forense de Especies Silvestres Dirección de Investigación Criminal e INTERPOL Policía Nacional Bogotá Colombia
| | - C. M. del Valle
- Laboratorio de Identificación Genética Forense de Especies Silvestres Dirección de Investigación Criminal e INTERPOL Policía Nacional Bogotá Colombia
| | - S. Caballero
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular de Vertebrados Acuáticos – LEMVA Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de Los Andes Bogotá Colombia
| | - D. D. Chapman
- Sharks and Rays Conservation Program Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium Sarasota FL USA
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Pytka JM, Moore ABM, Heenan A. Internet trade of a previously unknown wildlife product from a critically endangered marine fish. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adel Heenan
- School of Ocean Sciences Bangor University Anglesey UK
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Clark-Shen N, Chin A, Arunrugstichai S, Labaja J, Mizrahi M, Simeon B, Hutchinson N. Status of Southeast Asia's marine sharks and rays. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e13962. [PMID: 35665538 PMCID: PMC10087767 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
In Southeast Asia, elasmobranchs are particularly threatened. We synthesized knowledge from the peer-reviewed and gray literature on elasmobranchs in the region, including their fisheries, status, trade, biology, and management. We found that 59% of assessed species are threatened with extinction and 72.5% are in decline; rays were more threatened than sharks. Research and conservation is complicated by the socioeconomic contexts of the countries, geopolitical issues in the South China Sea, and the overcapacity and multispecies nature of fisheries that incidentally capture elasmobranchs. The general paucity of data, funds, personnel, and enforcement hinders management. Reduced capacity in the general fishery sector and marine protected areas of sufficient size (for elasmobranchs and local enforcement capabilities) are among recommendations to strengthen conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Chin
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | | | - Jessica Labaja
- Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines, Jagna, Philippines
| | - Meira Mizrahi
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Myanmar Programme, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Benaya Simeon
- Fisheries Resource Centre of Indonesia, Bogor, Indonesia
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Gupta T, Milner‐Gulland EJ, Dias A, Karnad D. Drawing on local knowledge and attitudes for the conservation of critically endangered rhino rays in Goa, India. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Trisha Gupta
- Department of Zoology, Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - EJ Milner‐Gulland
- Department of Zoology, Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Andrew Dias
- Department of Environmental Studies Ashoka University Sonipat India
| | - Divya Karnad
- Department of Environmental Studies Ashoka University Sonipat India
- Foundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning Morattandi India
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8
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Half a century of rising extinction risk of coral reef sharks and rays. Nat Commun 2023; 14:15. [PMID: 36650137 PMCID: PMC9845228 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35091-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Sharks and rays are key functional components of coral reef ecosystems, yet many populations of a few species exhibit signs of depletion and local extinctions. The question is whether these declines forewarn of a global extinction crisis. We use IUCN Red List to quantify the status, trajectory, and threats to all coral reef sharks and rays worldwide. Here, we show that nearly two-thirds (59%) of the 134 coral-reef associated shark and ray species are threatened with extinction. Alongside marine mammals, sharks and rays are among the most threatened groups found on coral reefs. Overfishing is the main cause of elevated extinction risk, compounded by climate change and habitat degradation. Risk is greatest for species that are larger-bodied (less resilient and higher trophic level), widely distributed across several national jurisdictions (subject to a patchwork of management), and in nations with greater fishing pressure and weaker governance. Population declines have occurred over more than half a century, with greatest declines prior to 2005. Immediate action through local protections, combined with broad-scale fisheries management and Marine Protected Areas, is required to avoid extinctions and the loss of critical ecosystem function condemning reefs to a loss of shark and ray biodiversity and ecosystem services, limiting livelihoods and food security.
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Cardeñosa D, Shea SK, Zhang H, Fischer GA, Simpfendorfer CA, Chapman DD. Two thirds of species in a global shark fin trade hub are threatened with extinction: Conservation potential of international trade regulations for coastal sharks. Conserv Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Diego Cardeñosa
- Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University North Miami Florida USA
| | | | - Huarong Zhang
- Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden Corporation Hong Kong SAR China
| | | | - Colin A. Simpfendorfer
- College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Douglas Queensland Australia
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
| | - Demian D. Chapman
- Center for Shark Research, Mote Marine Laboratory Sarasota Florida USA
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10
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Quinlan JR, O'Leary SJ, Fields AT, Benavides M, Stumpf E, Carcamo R, Cruz J, Lewis D, Wade B, Amato G, Kolokotronis SO, Clementi GM, Chapman DD. Using fisher-contributed secondary fins to fill critical shark-fisheries data gaps. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:991-1001. [PMID: 33538362 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Developing-world shark fisheries are typically not assessed or actively managed for sustainability; one fundamental obstacle is the lack of species and size-composition catch data. We tested and implemented a new and potentially widely applicable approach for collecting these data: mandatory submission of low-value secondary fins (anal fins) from landed sharks by fishers and use of the fins to reconstruct catch species and size. Visual and low-cost genetic identification were used to determine species composition, and linear regression was applied to total length and anal fin base length for catch-size reconstruction. We tested the feasibility of this approach in Belize, first in a local proof-of-concept study and then scaling it up to the national level for the 2017-2018 shark-fishing season (1,786 fins analyzed). Sixteen species occurred in this fishery. The most common were the Caribbean reef (Carcharhinus perezi), blacktip (C. limbatus), sharpnose (Atlantic [Rhizoprionodon terraenovae] and Caribbean [R. porosus] considered as a group), and bonnethead (Sphyrna cf. tiburo). Sharpnose and bonnethead sharks were landed primarily above size at maturity, whereas Caribbean reef and blacktip sharks were primarily landed below size at maturity. Our approach proved effective in obtaining critical data for managing the shark fishery, and we suggest the tools developed as part of this program could be exported to other nations in this region and applied almost immediately if there were means to communicate with fishers and incentivize them to provide anal fins. Outside the tropical Western Atlantic, we recommend further investigation of the feasibility of sampling of secondary fins, including considerations of time, effort, and cost of species identification from these fins, what secondary fin type to use, and the means with which to communicate with fishers and incentivize participation. This program could be a model for collecting urgently needed data for developing-world shark fisheries globally. Article impact statement: Shark fins collected from fishers yield data critical to shark fisheries management in developing nations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R Quinlan
- Institute of Envrironment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st Street, North Miami, FL, 33181, USA
| | - Shannon J O'Leary
- Marine Genomics Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA
| | - Andrew T Fields
- Marine Genomics Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA
| | - Martin Benavides
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 3431 Arendell Street, Morehead, NC, 28557, USA
| | - Emily Stumpf
- American Museum of Natural History, Institute for Comparative Genomics, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Ramon Carcamo
- Belize Fisheries Department, Princess Margaret Dr., Belize City, Belize
| | - Joel Cruz
- Belize Fisheries Department, Princess Margaret Dr., Belize City, Belize
| | - Derrick Lewis
- Belize Fisheries Department, Princess Margaret Dr., Belize City, Belize
| | - Beverly Wade
- Belize Fisheries Department, Princess Margaret Dr., Belize City, Belize
| | - George Amato
- American Museum of Natural History, Institute for Comparative Genomics, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- American Museum of Natural History, Institute for Comparative Genomics, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, 450 Clarkson Avenue, MSC43A, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, U.S.A
| | - Gina M Clementi
- Institute of Envrironment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st Street, North Miami, FL, 33181, USA
| | - Demian D Chapman
- Institute of Envrironment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st Street, North Miami, FL, 33181, USA
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Jorgensen SJ, Micheli F, White TD, Van Houtan KS, Alfaro-Shigueto J, Andrzejaczek S, Arnoldi NS, Baum JK, Block B, Britten GL, Butner C, Caballero S, Cardeñosa D, Chapple TK, Clarke S, Cortés E, Dulvy NK, Fowler S, Gallagher AJ, Gilman E, Godley BJ, Graham RT, Hammerschlag N, Harry AV, Heithaus M, Hutchinson M, Huveneers C, Lowe CG, Lucifora LO, MacKeracher T, Mangel JC, Barbosa Martins AP, McCauley DJ, McClenachan L, Mull C, Natanson LJ, Pauly D, Pazmiño DA, Pistevos JCA, Queiroz N, Roff G, Shea BD, Simpfendorfer CA, Sims DW, Ward-Paige C, Worm B, Ferretti F. Emergent research and priorities for shark and ray conservation. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2021. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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12
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McDavitt MT, Kyne PM. Social media posts reveal the geographic range of the Critically Endangered clown wedgefish, Rhynchobatus cooki. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2020; 97:1846-1851. [PMID: 32897540 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The shark-like rays of the family Rhinidae (wedgefishes) are globally threatened with extinction. The poorly known clown wedgefish, Rhynchobatus cooki has historically been recorded only from fish markets in Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia. Its natural geographic range has until now gone undocumented. Social media posts revealed the first wild records of this Critically Endangered species; six records were located between 2015 and 2020 from small-scale fisheries in Lingga and Singkep Islands, Indonesia. These results demonstrate the utility of social media searches to identify biogeographic records of cryptic and data-poor species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter M Kyne
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
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