The recent news that a local fish importer has managed to sell off shark flesh as swordfish might have wrenched a couple of stomachs and temporarily put swordfish off the menu for some but this story is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the hidden and senseless commercial exploitation of shark species, which occurs on a regular basis locally.

Biologist Justin Cauchi

For the most part, fishmongers do not have to disguise shark as swordfish, which would be consumer fraud, but, rather, cleverly market it as “boneless fish” and conveniently fail to mention it is a shark, which, strictly speaking, is legal.

Maltese nomenclature for most shark species also does not help since, unlike in English, where most sharks have included the word ‘shark’ as part of the name (blue shark, bluntnose six-gill shark), the Maltese counterparts usually do not include the corresponding general term for shark, kelb il-baħar, as part of the name. Therefore, blue shark would be ħuta kaħla while bluntnose six-gill shark would be murruna, names which, at face value, seem none other than just another type of fish to the lay customer.

Skinned mazzola at a local fishmonger. Very popular among Maltese, many are oblivious to the fact that these are actually small sharks.

But for those with a more adventurous culinary inclination, the prospect of eating shark might sound intriguing enough and would, therefore, rightly question what is so wrong with having shark on the menu. 

Sharks in general are one of the most, if not the most, unsustainable fish for human consumption. Global populations are struggling to cope with overfishing, loss of prey and habitat loss. And this is nowhere more felt than in the Mediterranean, which is notoriously overfished. 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an international scientific body which is the respected global authority on the status of species, found that, in 2016, after an entire decade from its first assessment in 2007, shark populations in the Mediterranean were yet to show any signs of improvements despite continual calls for increased conservation measures and action from regional authorities. 

An illustration comparing the IUCN conservation status for the same 16 shark species globally (top) and in the Mediterranean (bottom). Mediterranean populations are clearly in a worse state than the global population of the same shark species, a symptom of a sea in dire need of urgent conservation measures. Source: Cashion et al., 2019

According to the same IUCN report, out of 40 shark species native to the Mediterranean, 58 per cent are at an elevated risk of going extinct, 17 per cent are at healthy or borderline healthy population levels and 25 per cent are data- deficient (meaning not enough is known to make an assessment). 

From the 58 per cent at an elevated risk of extinction, a staggering 30 per cent are assessed as critically endangered, meaning almost a third of all Mediterranean shark species are at the worst possible rating and on the brink of going extinct regionally. 

Blue shark steaks from a local fishmonger being tactfully marketed as “boneless and easy-to-cook fish”.

Many scientists consider sharks to be keystone species in several marine ecosystems since, as apex predators in marine food webs, they keep several prey populations in check and maintain balance. The loss of shark species, therefore, would not only decrease marine biodiversity but also hinder the functioning of marine ecosystems, with possible ramifications on other commercially important fish stocks.

In light of this, it is frankly mind-boggling how, currently in Malta, you can simply stroll down to the nearest fish market or supermarket and quite easily find and purchase a steak of blue shark (ħuta kaħla), which in the Mediterranean is a critically endangered species with a declining population. And this despite the fact that, in accordance with Maltese legislation, this species can be subject to management measures (quotas, limited fishing season, size limit, etc.) at the behest of the relevant authority should the latter feel that the exploitation of the species is incompatible with maintaining a favourable conservation status.  

“Scientific studies have consistently found high levels of mercury in shark flesh”

It should not take a biology degree to know that critically endangered is not a favourable conservation status. And this is not an isolated case with targeted sharks in Malta. 

The popular mazzola, which unbeknownst to most Maltese is the name for several small species of shark from the dogfish and smooth-hound families, is also listed alongside the blue shark in the same Maltese legislation.

And, like the blue shark, despite its unfavourable conservation status (majority of mazzola species are listed as vulnerable with decreasing populations in the Mediterranean by IUCN), measures to maintain healthy fish stocks appear to be non-existent. In fact, overall, it is quite unclear what fishing regulations and conservation measures do exist for fish which is not tuna, swordfish, lampuki or listed as explicitly protected by Maltese law.

If such regulations and measures do exist, then they are obscurely communicated and not readily available in formats appropriate for lay consumers and fishermen.

If the unsustainability and environmentally destructive nature of the shark-fishing industry was not already reason enough to put you off buying shark for food, regularly consuming shark might also be not so good for your health.

As with other apex predators in marine food chains, sharks are very prone to bioaccumulation of toxic compound such as heavy metals. Scientific studies from different parts of the world − including the Mediterranean Sea − have consistently found high levels of mercury in shark flesh, with estimates showing that a single serving of shark meat (113g for adults) could very likely expose you to three times the recommended mercury consumption limit.

For reference, a study has found that the average mercury concentration in shark flesh is 1,670ng/g, which is considerably higher compared to other large commercial fish targets such as bigeye tuna (690ng/g) and swordfish (1,000 ng/g). 

Moreover, the value of 1,670ng/g is an average of a vast range of different shark species and, as a rule of thumb, larger sharks, such as blue shark, have much higher mercury levels, often in excess of 4,000ng/g on average. This does not mean that smaller sharks are mercury-free. 

The Hexanchus griseus or bluntnose six-gill shark, known in Maltese as murruna. Photo: Shutterstock.com

A study in Italy found that the common smooth-hound (which is one of the species that is caught frequently locally and then labelled as mazzola) also displayed mercury levels in excess of maximum permissible dietary intake concentrations established by the World Health Organisation.

Another study in Portugal found alarming levels of mercury and arsenic in another small shark species, the lesser-spotted catshark, which is also regularly caught and sold in Malta and goes by the Maltese name gattarell. 

Exposure to high levels of mercury have been linked to cancer, liver and kidney damage, reproductive defects and negative effects on the immune and hormonal systems. The continued exploitation of sharks in Malta is senseless and counterproductive, to say the least.

There is no market demand for shark meat, with the little demand which does exist being only the result of the fact that most consumers are unaware that they are buying shark. The low demand means that the market value is low for shark meat, translating into petty profits for fishermen and fishmongers unless they “accidentally” mislabel it as swordfish. So the shark-fishing industry has little gravitas economically. 

With the majority of shark species in the Mediterranean being at risk of extinction, sharks are an unsustainable fish stock and are more beneficial to us when filling their roles in marine ecosystems.

And, to top it all off, regularly consuming shark will most likely guarantee you an early exit from this world.

With the low market value of some sharks, some fishermen do not even bother to officially land them and just throw them overboard. These lesser-spotted catsharks (gattarell) were found dumped near Xlendi in 2016. Photo: Tim Rose