There’s DNA evidence that your dog might have been consuming endangered sharks.
Vague descriptions on the packaging of cat and dog foods means that you might be unknowingly giving your pets endangered species for dinner.
A study has revealed that pet foods that list ‘ocean fish’ as an ingredient might actually be vulnerable shark species. The most frequently identified species found in the analysis was the silky shark. The silky shark is currently listed as ‘vulnerable’ by The International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Several pet food brands contained threatened animals. However, their deceptive packaging, such as using vague ingredient descriptions such as ‘ocean fish’, means that pet owners are often oblivious to what they might actually be feeding their pets.
You might be inadvertently feeding your dog endangered animals for dinner.
Sharks: The Apex Predator That Regulates The Marine Ecosystem
Just like most other marine species, sharks have been wildly overfished in recent times. It’s estimated that shark populations have declined by more than 70% in the last 50 years.
Sharks play an important role in the marine ecosystem. As apex predators, sharks are responsible for keeping the balance of the marine ecosystem. Without apex predators, it would cause a trophic cascade: a series of knock-on effects that are felt throughout all levels in a food chain.
While most of the shark population decline can be attributed to the sale of shark fins, the use of shark products in everyday products is a silent contributor to the problem. Shark products can be found in items such as pet food, health supplements, and garden fertilisers.
Scientists tested 45 different types of pet foods from 16 different brands in Singapore. Most of the products contained vague ingredient descriptions such as ‘fish’, ‘white fish’, or ‘ocean fish’ in their list of ingredients. Only a limited number of products listed the specific type of species such as salmon or tuna.
Roughly 1/3 of the pet food products tested contained the presence of shark DNA. The most common species found were the blue shark, the silky shark, and the whitetip reef shark.
The scientists found that roughly a third of the products contained the presence of shark DNA. The most common species found were the blue shark, the silky shark, and the whitetip reef shark. The DNA of the Sicklefin weasel shark, the Caribbean sharpnose shark, and the sand tiger shark were also found in some of the products.
All of these shark species are classified as ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Why Is This Happening?
The researchers came up with some theories as to why shark products can turn up in pet food products. It’s possible that the meat was removed from the carcass of sharks that already had their valuable fins removed. It could also be a sign of a growing shark meat industry.
Vulnerable shark species such as the Silky Shark. the Sicklefin weasel shark, and the Caribbean sharpnose shark were found in some pet foods.
The authors of the study are calling for greater transparency in food labels so that owners know what they’re feeding to their pets.
Due to the lack of regulation on specific labelling, a wide range of endangered species can be included in products. You might be unwillingly getting any fish, endangered or not.
Since a lot of pet owners are also passionate about nature, we think that most owners would be disgusted to know that could be inadvertently contributing to the reduction of shark populations due to overfishing. It’s our job to bring attention to this issue.
You can read the full report here.
