Freshly caught shark on the market at a market in Kerala, in southwest India. (Shutterstock)
Sharks, together with rays, and their merchandise have been traditionally consumed and traded by many communities globally over centuries. Between 2012 and 2019, the commerce in shark and ray meat was valued at over US$4.1 billion.
Sharks and rays every have complicated and distinct chains of provide and distribution, that are tougher to unravel, affecting the success of administration initiatives. That is regarding for conservation efforts to achieve success as sharks and rays are among the most threatened species at present, principally resulting from overfishing.
In India, contemporary, salted and dried shark meat had been historically consumed in a number of coastal communities, particularly alongside the nation’s west coast. There, shark meat was a weight loss plan staple for the poor. Sharks are additionally consumed for cultural causes, as their meat is taken into account a nourishing meals for moms after childbirth; whereas ray meat is consumed throughout festivities.
As a response to the rising international demand for sharks between 1950 and 1980 for shark merchandise resembling shark liver oil and shark fin soup, focused shark fisheries developed in a number of components of India to fulfill this demand. One such place was the Andaman Islands, the place I performed my analysis between 2018 and 2019.
Sharks and rays on the market at a fish market in southern India.
(Zoya Tyabji), Creator supplied
Consumption preferences
Locals within the Andaman Islands most popular consuming reef fish, as a result of style, robust pores and skin and problem in cooking sharks and rays. Nonetheless, as a lot of the fish caught within the Andaman Islands are exported, the ensuing native shortages of reef fish led to locals consuming what was obtainable.
One other issue within the rise in consumption was the migration of individuals from components of mainland India and Southeast Asia to the Andaman Islands who consumed sharks and rays historically. Not all shark and ray species had been most popular for consumption and commerce: smaller sharks had been most popular as the feel of their meat was softer.
One such instance is from a neighborhood in Center Andaman who began consuming nurse sharks resulting from their availability and declines of different reef fish. They domestically name them “biscuit sharks” as a result of texture of the shark when consumed.
There’s a widespread perception in mainland India that milk sharks (Rhizoprionodon acutus) had been particularly useful to pregnant and lactating ladies. Nonetheless, all sharks underneath a metre in size had been misidentified as milk sharks.
Our analysis additionally discovered that there have been consumption preferences when it got here to rays. These which had been uniformly colored (resembling Pateobatis jenkinsii and Pateobatis fai) and had chicken had been additionally most popular over noticed rays (Himantura uarnak) and people with black meat (all eagle rays and satan rays).
Complicated commerce routes
Native shark and ray consumption on the Andaman Islands is at a a lot smaller scale than the export of sharks and rays outdoors the islands. The commerce routes for sharks and rays are complicated, with every product having its personal distinct provide chain.
Shark meat from smaller sharks (lower than one metre in size) was offered in home markets on the Indian mainland. Different merchandise offered included meat from bigger sharks and rays, meat and leather-based from small sharks (people measuring lower than one metre in size).
In worldwide markets, demand was for merchandise resembling shark and ray meat from bigger people, ray pores and skin for the leather-based trade, gill plates from mobula rays for medicines, and shark liver oil for tonics.
Nurse sharks had been domestically known as biscuit sharks due to the feel of their meat after cooking.
(Shutterstock)
Our outcomes additionally steered {that a} focused stingray fishery is now creating on the islands to provide the excessive demand for meat on peninsular India. That is worthwhile as a result of perceived excessive abundance of rays within the islands, the demand, and the shortage of insurance policies on stingrays. That is regarding as stingrays are much more threatened than sharks.
Additional, the commerce impacts stakeholders in another way. For instance, small scale fishers knowledgeable us in regards to the declines in shark populations in these areas, which additionally impacts their livelihoods. Nonetheless, fishers who’ve the assets to put money into boats and kit that may fish sharks from offshore areas understand them to be plentiful. This additionally causes battle between stakeholder teams as these with networks and assets profit greater than others.
Defending sharks and rays
Whereas there are worldwide rules such because the Conference on Worldwide Commerce in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora in place, our findings make it clear that there’s an pressing want to control the home commerce in India.
Moreover, growing consciousness of how consuming sharks and rays endangers them is vital. Any rules and insurance policies must be developed with native communities whose livelihoods could also be affected.
Understanding how and why sharks and rays are consumed and traded can inform the place and the way interventions must be made. Such research additionally assist us establish species most in danger.
Zoya Tyabji doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or organisation that will profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their educational appointment.
