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High levels of mislabelling of shark flesh in Australian fish markets and seafood shops

Teagan Parker Kielniacz , Adam Stow, Nicolette Armansin

Abstract

Context Overfishing is a major cause of decline for many shark species globally, which can be largely offset by shifting consumer demand to sustainable harvests. The inherent difficulty identifying shark species after processing makes informative labelling fundamental to achieving a sustainable market. Aims We evaluated the level of mislabelling in Australia from shark flesh samples obtained from seafood suppliers across the country. Methods We used sequence data from the Cytochrome Oxidase subunit one gene (CO1) and the 12S mitochondrial RNA gene (12S) to identify genera and likely species. Key Results We used genetic sequence data to identify species from tissue samples from 91fillets labelled as shark. Of these, 64 (70%) were mislabelled, and 9 comprised three species listed as threatened in Australia, the scalloped hammerhead (Sphryna lewini), greeneye spurdog (Squalus Chloroculus) and school shark (Galeorhinus galeus). The scalloped hammerhead and greeneye spurdog were being sold under the label Flake. Overall, 70% of samples were mislabelled and the proportion of mislabelling was significantly greater in takeaways compared with fish markets and wholesalers. Implications Our results reveal labelling practices that are not providing consumers with reliable information to identify shark products, and we demonstrate utility of molecular methods in seafood trade monitoring.

MF23198  Accepted 27 March 2024

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