October 14, 2020 โ New research reveals the Eastern Pacific is a particular hotspot for the shark fin tradeโand a danger zone for an endangered species fighting for survival.
Florida International University (FIU) postdoctoral researcher Diego Cardeรฑosa and Demian Chapman, an associate professor of biological sciences and marine scientist in the Institute of Environment, collaborated with scientists in Hong Kong to track and monitor the global shark fin trade using DNA testing.
They tested fins from endangered pelagic thresher sharks (Alopias pelagicus)โa species commonly found in the fin trade. Almost 85 percent of fins sampled from retail markets in Hong Kong and China were genetically traced back to sharks caught in the Eastern Pacific. Itโs not the first time the scientists have linked fins from endangered sharks to this specific area.
โThe findings werenโt surprising, because earlier this year we discovered the majority of fins from endangered scalloped hammerhead sharks also originated from the Eastern Pacific,โ Cardeรฑosa said. โThis is a region with poor fisheries management and poor capacity to enforce international regulations.โ