Tamil Nadu tops illegal trade in shark body parts

TRAFFIC is the Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce.

The analysis found that about 16,000 kg of shark fins were seized from 2010 to 2022, constituting almost 80% of the shark-derived products. Significant volumes of shark cartilage and teeth were also seized.

The factsheet released on Thursday, titled ‘Netted in illegal wildlife trade: Sharks of India’ said Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala, and Maharashtra follow Tamil Nadu in that order in illegal shark trade. The confiscated products, the report said, were destined for Singapore, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Sri Lanka, and mainland China.

“The demand for shark fins and meat is a major driver of global shark fishery. Shark fins are the most sought-after shark product used to make shark-fin soup a delicacy,” Merwyn Fernandes, associate director of TRAFFIC’s India office said.

“Other shark products are also in demand, albeit to a lesser extent. Shark’s meat is consumed as food, skin as leather, liver oil (squalene) as a lubricant, in cosmetics and as a source of vitamin A, cartilage for chondroitin sulphate extraction in the preparation of medicines, and jaws and teeth for making curios,” he added.

Overfishing worry

Sharks are crucial to the marine ecosystem. As top predators in the oceanic food web, sharks prey on various species, including plankton, fish, crustaceans, and marine mammals. Overfishing, coupled with low biological productivity, puts them at a higher risk of extinction when compared to most other vertebrates, the report said.

Of 160 shark species reported in India, only 26 sharks and rays have been given the highest protection status under the amended Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972 by listing them in Schedules I and II.