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Shark fisheries
For centuries sharks have been sought for their meat, hides, liver oil, fins and teeth. Today, although their rich liver oil continues to be a reason to fish for sharks in European waters, most European shark fisheries are driven by a commercial demand for meat and fins.
Meat
The European Union is a significant consumer of and trader in shark meat, particularly shortfin mako and porbeagle sharks, dogfish, smoothhounds, catsharks, and skates and rays.
In addition, Germany and the UK are particularly big consumers of spurdog (spiny dogfish).
In the mid-1990s, France was the largest consumer of shark and skate meat in Europe, but has since been overtaken by Spain and Italy (figures derived from production plus imports minus exports).
Shark meat is sold fresh, frozen, salted and dried.
A recent market study found that spurdog
meat, which the UK sold to Italy was the most expensive shark meat at
nearly US$10 per kg. The
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The most valuable part of a shark is usually its fins, the principal ingredient of 'shark fin soup', which is a traditional Chinese delicacy that is becoming increasingly popular. © Greenpeace
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meat from the shortfin mako, the common thresher and the porbeagle shark is also of notable value.
Fins
The most valuable part of a shark is usually its fins, which are the principal ingredient of ‘shark fin soup’. This traditional Chinese delicacy is increasingly in demand as, thanks to a booming Chinese economy, more people are able to afford it.
The global shark fin trade is estimated to be increasing each year, while sets of shark fins can sell for more than US$700 per kg.
European participation in the Hong Kong fin market has increased from negligible levels in the early 1990s to nearly one-third of total declared imports. Spain has led all other fin exporters in the world by a wide margin.
Hammerhead sharks’ fins are among the most valuable. Fins from blue and mako sharks are important in trade, if not always top quality. Northeast Atlantic tope and basking sharks are also prized for their fins, with a single fin from the latter species once selling for nearly US$10,000.
The fins of spurdog and other dogfish species are generally low quality, but they have been part of the international fin trade for decades and make up a substantial proportion of the volume of shark fin trade from Europe.
Trade and markets
Between 1990 and 2003, global exports of shark products doubled to 86,500t at a value of nearly US$250 million.
In 2003, Panama, Costa Rica and Spain replaced Denmark, Germany and Norway in the top ten countries for shark exports.
Based on the 2003 global shark catch and shark export and import figures, however, the major players in global production and trade of sharks are now Indonesia, Spain, the US, Japan, the UK and New Zealand.
The market for fins
The global export of shark fins has fluctuated, but the trend is now upwards and estimated to be growing each year.
Over the last decade, European participation in the Hong Kong fin market, led by Spain, has grown from negligible levels to nearly a third of total declared imports. This share is likely to be an underestimate as fins taken by the Europe’s distant water fleets may be credited to other countries.
Shark species important for the fin market include hammerhead, blue, mako, basking and dogfish sharks.
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