Historical Shark Meat Consumption and Trade Trends in a Global Richness Hotspot

  • Márcio L. V. Barbosa-Filho Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Brazil http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1162-3575
  • Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis Laboratório de Avaliação e Promoção da Saúde Ambiental, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9451-471X
  • Salvatore Siciliano Laboratório de Enterobactérias, Intituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Thelma L. P. Dias Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Departamento de Biologia, Campina Grande, Brazil
  • Rômulo R. N. Alves Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Departamento de Biologia, Campina Grande, Brazil
  • Eraldo M. Costa-Neto Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Feira de Santana, Brazil
Keywords: Local Ecological Knowledge, Food security, Elasmobranchs, Small-scale fisheries, Brazil

Abstract

Shark catches have increased worldwide, threatening the survival of several species. This study describes historical trends concerning shark consumption and commercialization by artisanal fishers in northeastern Brazil. Semi-structured questionnaires were applied and respondents pointed out that sharks used to be locally regarded as low-quality fish in the past and rejected by fish consumers, with low fisher consumption frequency. However, this has changed in recent decades, as a total of 95.4% (n=62) of the questionnaire respondents reported currently consuming shark meat, while 61.5% (n=40) highlighted its high quality. In addition, most interviewees (90.8%; n=59) reported decreasing numbers of sharks caught over time, following worldwide trends, leading to decreased fisher access to shark meat. Because of this, most respondents (70.7%, n=46) now consider it more advantageous to sell the sharks they catch than to consume them. In addition, the local commercialization of these fish is currently based on immature coastal species (<1 m). Thus, economic and biological studies on local shark populations are suggested in order to preserve local fisher culture and ensure food security for artisanal fisher communities and a long-term sustainable fishery and conservation of exploited species.

Author Biographies

Márcio L. V. Barbosa-Filho, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Brazil

Márcio Luiz Vargas Barbosa-Filho studies small-scale fisheries, with a focus on the local ecological knowledge of fishermen regarding aquatic animals. He is affiliated with the Postgraduate Program in Ethnobiology and Nature Conservation (Programa de Pós-graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza) at Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, as well as with the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco.

Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis, Laboratório de Avaliação e Promoção da Saúde Ambiental, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis studies Ecotoxicology and Environmental Chemistry, namely contamination by metals, PCBs, PAH, PBDEs, oxidative stress biomarkers and metal detoxification metabolism through metalloproteins.

Salvatore Siciliano, Laboratório de Enterobactérias, Intituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Salvatore Siciliano studies marine megafauna as ecological sentinels of ocean health.

Thelma L. P. Dias, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Departamento de Biologia, Campina Grande, Brazil

Thelma L. P. Dias has extensive experience working in the field of marine biology.

Rômulo R. N. Alves, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Departamento de Biologia, Campina Grande, Brazil

Rômulo R. N. Alves is a researcher who has extensive experience working in the field of ecology, with an emphasis on Ethnoecology and Ethnozoology.

Eraldo M. Costa-Neto, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Feira de Santana, Brazil

Eraldo M. Costa-Neto studies biocultural heritage and ethnozoology, with an emphasis on the human uses of wildlife.

References

Alves, R. R. N., and W. M. S. Souto. 2015. Ethnozoology: A Brief Introduction. Ethnobiology and Conservation 4:1–13. DOI:10.15451/ec2015-1-4.1-1-13.

Barbosa-Filho, M. L. V., and M. Cetra. 2007. Dinâmica da Frota Pesqueira Sediada na Cidade de Ilhéus, Estado da Bahia. Boletim Técnico Científico do CEPENE. 2:99–105.

Barbosa-Filho, M. L. V., A. Schiavetti, D. T. Alarcon, and E. M. Costa-Neto. 2014. “Shark is the Man!”: Ethno Knowledge of Brazil’s South Bahia Fishermen Regarding Shark Behaviors. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 10:54. DOI:10.1186/1746-4269-10-54.

Barbosa-Filho, M. L. V., E. M. Costa-Neto, and S. Siciliano. 2017. Knowledge and Practices of Expert Fishermen of South Bahia, Brazil, Regarding the International Shark Fin Market. Human Ecology 44:1–9. DOI: 10.1007/s10745-016-9873-2.

Baum, J. K., and B. Worm. 2009. Cascading Top-Down Effects of Changing Oceanic Predator Abundances. Journal of Animal Ecology 78:699–714. DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2656.2009.01531.x.

Begossi, A., N. Hanazaki, N. E. Peroni, and R. Silvano. 2006. Estudos de Ecologia Humana e Etnobiologia: Uma Revisão sobre Usos e Conservação. In Biologia da Conservação, edited by Rocha, H. G., M. A. S. Bergallo, R. R. N. Alves, and M. Van Sluys, pp. 1–16. Editora da UERJ, Rio de Janeiro.

Begossi, A., S. Salivonchyk, G. Hallwass, N. Hanazaki, P. F. M. Lopes, and R. Silvano. 2017. Threatened Fish and Fishers along the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Coast. Ambio 46:907–914. DOI:10.1007/s13280-017-0931-9.

Bender, M., S. Floeter, and N. Hanazaki. 2013. Do Traditional Fishermen Recognize Reef Fish Species Declines? Shifting Environmental Baselines in Eastern Brazil. Fisheries Management and Ecology 20:58–67. DOI:10.1111/fme.12006.

Bonfil, R. 1994. Overview of World Elasmobranch Fisheries. FAO Fisheries Technical, Rome.

Bornatowski H., R. R. Braga, and R. P. Barreto. 2018a. Elasmobranchs Consumption in Brazil: Impacts and Consequences. In Advances in Marine Vertebrate Research in Latin America, edited by M. R. Rossi-Santos and C. W. Finkl, pp. 251–262. Springer, Berlin.

Bornatowski, H., R. Angelini, M. Coll, R. R. P. Barreto, and A. F. Amorim. 2018b. Ecological Role and Historical Trends of Large Pelagic Predators in a Subtropical Marine Ecosystem of the South Atlantic. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 28:241–259. DOI:10.1007/s11160-017-9492-z.

Bortolamiol, S., S. Krief, C. A. Chapman, W. Kagoro, A. Seguya, and M. Cohen. 2018. Wilderness Knowledge and Traditions at the Edge of Protected and Anthropogenic Areas: Raising Another Voice in Conservation. Ethnobiology and Conservation 7:1–26. DOI:10.15451/ec2018-09-7.12-1-26.

Castro, A. I. 2000. The Biology of the Nurse Shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, Off the Florida East Coast and the Bahama Islands. Environmental Biology of Fishes 58:1–22. DOI:10.1023/A:1007698017645.

Castro, M. S., I. M. Martins, and N. Hanazaki. 2016. Trophic Relationships between People and Resources: Fish Consumption in an Artisanal Fishers Neighborhood in Southern Brazil. Ethnobiology and Conservation 5:1–16. DOI: 10.15451/ec2016-7-5.4-1-16.

Dent, F., and S. Clarke. 2015. State of the Global Market for Shark Products. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper, Rome.

Dulvy, N. K., S. L. Fowler, J. A. Musick, R. D. Cavanagh, P.M. Kyne, L. R. Harisson, J. K. Carlson, L. N. K. Davidson, S. V. Fordham, M. P. Francis, C.M. Pollock, C. A. Simpfendorfer, G. H. Burgess, K. E. Carpenter, L. J. V. Compagno, D. A. Ebert, C. Gibson, M. R. Heupel, S. R. Livingstone, J. C. Sanciangco, J. D. Stevens, S. Valenti, and W. T. White. 2014. Extinction Risk and Conservation of the World’s Sharks and Rays. eLIFE 3:e00590. DOI:10.7554/eLife.00590.

Dulvy, N. K., C. A. Simpfendorfer, L. N. K. Davidson, S. V. Fordham, A. Bräutigam, G. Sant, and D. Welch. 2017. Challenges and Priorities in Shark and Ray Conservation. Current Biology 27:565–572. DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2017.04.038.

Erler, D. M., D. P. Lima-Jr., and A. Schiavetti. 2015. Ecological Fishing Networks in a Marine Protected Area: One Possibility for Evaluating Objectives. Ocean and Coastal Management 104:106–114. DOI:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2014.12.008.

Estes, J. A., J. Terborgh, J. S. Brashares, M. E. Power, J. Berger, W. J. Bond, S. R. Carpenter, T. E. Essington, R. D. Holt, J. B. C. Jackson, R. J. Marquis, L. Oksanen, T. Oksanen, R. T. Paine, E. K. Pikitch, W. J. Ripple, S. A. Sandin, M. Scheffer, T. W. Schoener, J. B. Shurin, A. R. E. Sinclair, M. E. Soulé, R. Virtanen, and D. A. Wardle. 2011. Trophic Downgrading of Planet Earth. Science 333:301–306. DOI:10.1126/science.1205106.

Figueiredo, J. L. 1977. Manual de Peixes Marinhos do Sudeste do Brasil. I. Introdução. Cações, Raias, e Quimeras. Museu de Zoologia-USP, São Paulo.

Fowler, S. L., R. D. Cavanagh, M. Camhi, G. H. Burgess, G. M. Cailliet, S. V. Fordham, C. A. Simpfendorfer, and J. A. Musick, eds. 2005. Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras: The Status of the Chondrichthyan Fishes. IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group, Gland.

Giglio, V. J., M. L. F. Ternes, O. J. Luiz, C. Zapelini, and M. O. Freitas. 2018. Human Consumption and Popular Knowledge on the Conservation Status of Groupers and Sharks Caught by Small-Scale Fisheries on Abrolhos Bank, SW Atlantic. Marine Policy 89:142–146. DOI:10.1016/j.marpol.2017.12.020.

Heupel, M. R., D. M. Knip, C. A. Simpfendorfer, and N. K. Dulvy. 2014. Sizing Up the Ecological Role of Sharks as Predators. Marine Ecology Progress Series 495:291–298. DOI:10.3354/meps10597.

ICMBIO. 2018. Livro Vermelho da Fauna Brasileira Ameaçada de Extinção: Volume VI–Peixes. In Livro Vermelho da Fauna Brasileira Ameaçada de Extinção, edited by Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade. Ministério do Meio Ambiente, Brasília.

Lack, M., and G. Sant. 2009. Trends in Global Shark Catch and Recent Developments in Management. TRAFFIC International, Cambridge.

Lessa, R. F. M., S. G. Rincón, O. B. F. Gadig, and A. C. A. El-Deir. 1999. Biodiversidade de Elasmobrânquios no Brasil, Ministério do Meio Ambiente-PROBIO, Recife.

Lucifora, L. O., V. B. García, and B. Worm. 2011. Global Diversity Hotspots and Conservation Priorities for Sharks. PLoSOne 6:e19356. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0019356.

Marques, J. G. W. 2001. Pescando Pescadores: Ciência e Etnociência em uma Perspectiva Ecológica. NUPAUB, São Paulo.

McClenachan, M., S. Dissanayake, and X. Chen. 2016. Fair Trade Fish: Consumer Support for Broader Seafood Sustainability. Fish and Fisheries 17:825–838. DOI:10.1111/faf.12148.

Musick, J. A. 2005. Shark Utilization. In Management Techniques for Elasmobranch Fisheries, edited by J. A. Musick, R. Bonfil, pp. 243–251. FAO, Rome.

Myers, R. A., J. K. Baum, T. D. Shepherd, S. P. Powers, and C. H. Peterson. 2007. Cascading Effects of the Loss of Apex Predatory Sharks from a Coastal Ocean. Science 315:1846–1850. DOI:10.1126/science.1138657.

Olavo, G., P. A. Costa, and A. S. Martins. 2005. Caracterização da Pesca de Linha e Dinâmica das Frotas Linheiras da Bahia, Brasil. In Pesca e Potenciais de Exploração de Recursos Vivos na Região Central da Zona Econômica Exclusiva Brasileira, edited by P. A. Costa, A. S. Martins, and G. Olavo, pp. 13–34. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro.

Pinto, M. F., J. S. Mourão, and R. R. N. Alves. 2015. Use of Ichthyofauna by Artisanal Fishermen at Two Protected Areas along the Coast of Northeast Brazil. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 11:1–32. DOI:10.1186/s13002-015-0007-5.

Queiroz, E. L., and S. C. Rebouças. 1995. Tubarão—Quem tu és? Salvador: Universidade Federal da Bahia-GECET-Grupo de Estudos de Cetáceos, Bahia.

Simpfendorfer, C. A., M. R. Heupel, W. T. White, and N. K. Dulvy. 2011. The Importance of Research and Public Opinion to Conservation Management of Sharks and Rays: A Synthesis. Marine and Freshwater Research 62:518–527. DOI:10.1071/MF11086.

Stevens, J. D., R. Bonfil, N. K. Dulvy, and P. A. Walker. 2000. The Effects of Fishing on Sharks, Rays, and Chimeras (Chondrichthyans), and the Implications for Marine Ecosystems. ICES Journal of Marine Science 57:476–494. DOI:10.1006/jmsc.2000.0724.

Szpilman, M. 2004. Tubarões no Brasil: Guia Prático de Identificação. Aqualittera Ed, Rio de Janeiro.

Tabarelli, M., L. P. Pinto, J. M. C. Silva, M. Hirota, and L. Bedê. 2005. Desafios e Oportunidades para a Conservação da Biodiversidade na Mata Atlântica Brasileira. Megadiversidade 1:32–138.

United Nations. 2014. FAO General Assembly [web page]. Available at: https://www.un.org/depts/los/general_assembly/contributions_2014/FAO%20contribution%20UN%20SG%20OLOS%20report%20Part%20I%20FINAL.pdf. Accessed on January 22, 2019.

van Vliet, N., B. Schulte-Herbruggen, L. Vanegas, E. Y. Cuesta, F. Sandrin, and R. Nasi. 2018. What Role do Wild Animals (Fish and Wildmeat) Play in the Food Security of Urban Teenagers Living in Poverty and Conflict—the Case of Quibdó, Colombia. Ethnobiology and Conservation 7:1–15. DOI:10.15451/ec2018-01-7.02-1-15.

Ward-Paige, C. A., D. M. Keith, B. Worm, and H. K. Lotze. 2012. Recovery Potential and Conservation Options for Elasmobranchs. Journal of Fish Biology 80:1844–1869. DOI:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03246.x.

Worm, B., B. Davis, L. Kettemer, C. A. Ward-Paige, D. Chapman, M. R. Heithaus, S. T. Kessel, and S. H. Gruber. 2013. Global Catches, Exploitation Rates and Rebuilding Options for Sharks. Marine Policy 40:194–204. DOI:10.1016/j.marpol.2012.12.034.

Published
2019-11-05
How to Cite
Barbosa-Filho, M. L. V., Hauser-Davis, R. A., Siciliano, S., Dias, T. L. P., Alves, R. R. N., & Costa-Neto, E. M. (2019). Historical Shark Meat Consumption and Trade Trends in a Global Richness Hotspot. Ethnobiology Letters, 10(1), 97-103. https://doi.org/10.14237/ebl.10.1.2019.1560
Section
Research Communications