Illegal Shark Finning in Peru at the Lima Fish Market

Peru’s nutrient rich waters provided by the Humboldt Current that runs up the coastline from Antartica has created a channel following the Peruvian coast with a historical abundance and high diversity of sharks granting it the name, Shark Alley. Over 68 species of sharks inhabit the Peruvian waters, many of which are considered near threatened, endangered, or in most cases, data deficient. Despite this high diversity of shark species in Peru, many locals are unaware of the fact that their country has sharks.

This made me question why a seemingly plentiful and diverse group of animals were not known about by the locals. Unfortunately, overfishing of sharks for human consumption and for the illegal shark fin trade and bycatch, the unintentional catch resulting in drowning and death while targeting another species, has plummeted shark populations worldwide. In 2016, The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) banned shark finning in Peru. The law states that whenever a shark is caught that the whole animal must be presented for identification and to determine whether or not it is a CITES-listed species (1). Many sharks that inhabit the Peruvian waters are listed under CITES Appendix II, including the hammerhead shark, blue shark, and shortfin mako shark, meaning they are close to becoming threatened with a greater risk of extinction and trade is supposed to be strictly controlled to avoid worsening their conservation status (2). However, fishers have found a way to get around this by cutting off the head and fins of the shark- making them unidentifiable to most people and the law seldomly enforced.

Table of sharks at Lima fish market, Lima, Peru

At 3:15 am, my alarm went off and we drove over an hour through Lima on an early morning mission to get squid for our South American fur seal patient at the Lima fish market. I was shocked to see the amount of ocean life- octopus, giant squid, every fish of the Peruvian ocean, and sharks- tossed in buckets and stacked on top of each other in large numbers, some spilling over, and covering the ground. Near threatened and some presumably endangered sharks were piled up in buckets and laid out on tables with no heads or fins. I asked the price, and they said it was 5 soles/ kilo ($1.34 USD/ kilo or $2.95 USD/ pound). The fins were most likely exported to another country as part of the illegal shark fin trade. The Lima Fish Market is open every day of the week. We were pretty sure 2 of these species were the blue shark and the short-finned mako shark, both listed under CITES Appendix II.

Buckets of sharks without heads and fins at the Lima Fish Market, Lima, Peru

Sharks are a crucial part of the marine ecosystem, serving as apex predator's that keep the ecosystem in balance by regulating the food web and keeping prey numbers intact. Without sharks, the ecosystem will cascade, causing a chain reaction that will negatively effect and alter all levels of the food chain, and allow other animals lower on the food chain to overpopulate. This can lead to an ecosystem imbalance and a higher likelihood of disease to spread from the prey animals, disrupting the marine food web and eventually negatively impacting humans, especially those that consume seafood. As sharks are at the top of the food chain, they are sentinels in the ocean and show us the current state of the ocean based on their health. Sharks are necessary for a healthy ocean ecosystem and awareness and education on the issue of illegal shark hunting and finning in Peru is crucial for the survival of these species, as well as for the health of the ocean and all life on Earth.

Buckets of sharks without heads and an overflowing bucket of Mahi-mahi, Lima Fish Market

References:

1. SC77 Doc.

2. CITES Appendices I, II and III valid from 14.02.2021