Sharks Board support for study
The Natal Sharks Board is collaborating with Sharkprojekt, a German-based NGO which says sharks have large amounts of methyl mercury in their flesh.
Geremy Cliff, a scientist with the Natal Sharks Board, said at Sharkprojekt's request they had sent a couple of samples from larger sharks caught in the nets to them for analysis last month.
"They are mainly interested in large sharks, as they need to eat to grow. Obviously, the bigger they are, the more they will have consumed, with more chance for them to ingest mercury," said Cliff. "But age is also a factor. Some sharks, like the spiny dogfish, may be as old as 50 years, but less than 1m long."
Wolf Snyckers, an honorary member of Sharkprojekt and co-ordinator of the project in South Africa, said they had not yet had the results back.
"It is a lengthy process and they are still busy with the analysis. There is no doubt that they will find mercury, but we need to establish the percentage," said Snyckers.
Chinese
He said the Chinese in particular were very interested in the experiments, given the large amounts of shark meat they consumed, with their taste for sharkfin soup and other dishes containing this "delicacy".
At a seafood safety and toxicology symposium in Chingdao in June 2006, Sharkprojekt used the findings of two German scientists who have discovered a way of testing methyl mercury from shark product on European and Australian supermarket shelves.
The scientists found that the shark products being sold had methyl mercury levels 60 times too high for human consumption, leading to impotency and death.
Cliff said, depending on the outcome of the tests, the Sharks Board might collaborate further with Sharkprojekt.
For his part, Cobb said maybe these scientific findings would be an answer to the Chinese's fixation on impotency.
"The sharks will have the last laugh yet, but the reality is without them, the ocean will die," said Cobb.
This article was originally published on page 17 of Tribune on June 29, 2008
http://www.sundaytribune.co.za
"They are mainly interested in large sharks, as they need to eat to grow. Obviously, the bigger they are, the more they will have consumed, with more chance for them to ingest mercury," said Cliff. "But age is also a factor. Some sharks, like the spiny dogfish, may be as old as 50 years, but less than 1m long."
Wolf Snyckers, an honorary member of Sharkprojekt and co-ordinator of the project in South Africa, said they had not yet had the results back.
"It is a lengthy process and they are still busy with the analysis. There is no doubt that they will find mercury, but we need to establish the percentage," said Snyckers.
Chinese
He said the Chinese in particular were very interested in the experiments, given the large amounts of shark meat they consumed, with their taste for sharkfin soup and other dishes containing this "delicacy".
At a seafood safety and toxicology symposium in Chingdao in June 2006, Sharkprojekt used the findings of two German scientists who have discovered a way of testing methyl mercury from shark product on European and Australian supermarket shelves.
The scientists found that the shark products being sold had methyl mercury levels 60 times too high for human consumption, leading to impotency and death.
Cliff said, depending on the outcome of the tests, the Sharks Board might collaborate further with Sharkprojekt.
For his part, Cobb said maybe these scientific findings would be an answer to the Chinese's fixation on impotency.
"The sharks will have the last laugh yet, but the reality is without them, the ocean will die," said Cobb.
This article was originally published on page 17 of Tribune on June 29, 2008
http://www.sundaytribune.co.za
| 31.8.2008 | Print |