Are these fins (2 parts with each 2 pictures) related to a shark species, and if yes, which one (all parts had the length of about 15 cm)? Found at a beach on Seychelles and most probably this poor animal was a bycatch
The fact they have been removed looks like processing for food. The carcass has been kept.
Source? Ex commercial fisherman here and this is exactly what it looks like to begin preparing the carcass for consumption. The head/guts will be there somewhere too.
Okay, but I thought the fins were the most valuable part of the shark? Especially the lower caudal lobe. So, kind of confusing.
I was thinking this looks like a shark that was finned, and then maybe they dumped the catch to avoid being caught? Or how else would this be explained?
Non commercial catch is my guess still. Recreational anglers would not keep fins. Harvesting is the exact same process for commercial as it is for recreational, but a recreational angler has no point keeping the fins as they cannot sell them outside of black market.
Unsure what country this is, but here in Australia? Recreational anglers can harvest sharks to certain sizes/species with some being total protected. Big fines apply for recreational anglers attempting to sell fin. As for Professionals? Licences MUST be held. There are set quotas, and ALL commercial fishers must report each individual shark captured, with log books accounting for any fins in possession.
Here? A recreational angler is quite likely to throw the fins away if harvesting the shark for eating.
Edit- you are correct about the lower part of the tail being the most valuable, however it needs to be trimmed from the larger part of the tail. About 70% of the tail in photo is not valuable. Again recreational.
Only if u have a market & connections to sell, and are willing to take the risk
This seems non commercial to me too. The average recreational fishers catch is trophy or food, a shark can be both without the fins being of interest.
Some sharks are entirely legal within limits to harvest recreationally, so a legal recreational fisher who just intends to eat a shark usually has little interest in the fins or their hypothetical value, bc they’re not planning to engage with the black market.
Like if ur uncle goes fishing with his friends next Sunday, odds are he’s not gonna hit up an international crime network on the off chance they hook a legal shark
.
To start processing a shark for legal consumption, u remove the fins, guts and usually head, & throw those away. If ur planning to transport and butcher elsewhere, just taking off fins can make it easier to handle and pack, especially if u intend to remove and keep the jaws
That’s where these fins probably came from, given they were likely dumped close to or from shore
Quite a few communities eat shark. There are some fisheries which prosecute shark for fin or viscera. But many artisanal fisheries market the meat as a product. So without forensic evidence it is possible to imagine these shark parts are quite legal albeit rather sad discards.....
There is so much prep and soaking required to just get the ammonia/ urine taste out of the meat. Like…go eat literally any other fish.
This is why people tend to focus on eating the fins, versus the meat - To avoid this awful taste. This is legit just “eating it for the sake of eating it.”
”All sharks excrete urine through the skin and ammoniate the flesh with the exception of mako, thresher and great white sharks. These three species actually have urinary tracks and do not urinate through the skin.”
Looks alot like the caudal fin of a Grey reef shark (C. amblyrhynchos) just based on how dusky and undefined the markings are along the margin of the caudal fin in comparison to other similar looking Carcharhinid sharks within the region.
looks like a grey reef shark (C. amblyrhynchos) . the margins of the caudal are quite dusky and undefined in comparison to C. melanopterus, C. sorrah, C. limbatus and C. brevipinna which are all found in the region that OP described.
The fact they have been removed looks like processing for food. The carcass has been kept. Source? Ex commercial fisherman here and this is exactly what it looks like to begin preparing the carcass for consumption. The head/guts will be there somewhere too.
Okay, but I thought the fins were the most valuable part of the shark? Especially the lower caudal lobe. So, kind of confusing.
I was thinking this looks like a shark that was finned, and then maybe they dumped the catch to avoid being caught? Or how else would this be explained?
Non commercial catch is my guess still. Recreational anglers would not keep fins. Harvesting is the exact same process for commercial as it is for recreational, but a recreational angler has no point keeping the fins as they cannot sell them outside of black market.
Unsure what country this is, but here in Australia? Recreational anglers can harvest sharks to certain sizes/species with some being total protected. Big fines apply for recreational anglers attempting to sell fin. As for Professionals? Licences MUST be held. There are set quotas, and ALL commercial fishers must report each individual shark captured, with log books accounting for any fins in possession.
Here? A recreational angler is quite likely to throw the fins away if harvesting the shark for eating.
Edit- you are correct about the lower part of the tail being the most valuable, however it needs to be trimmed from the larger part of the tail. About 70% of the tail in photo is not valuable. Again recreational.
Only if u have a market & connections to sell, and are willing to take the risk
This seems non commercial to me too. The average recreational fishers catch is trophy or food, a shark can be both without the fins being of interest.
Some sharks are entirely legal within limits to harvest recreationally, so a legal recreational fisher who just intends to eat a shark usually has little interest in the fins or their hypothetical value, bc they’re not planning to engage with the black market.
Like if ur uncle goes fishing with his friends next Sunday, odds are he’s not gonna hit up an international crime network on the off chance they hook a legal shark
.
To start processing a shark for legal consumption, u remove the fins, guts and usually head, & throw those away. If ur planning to transport and butcher elsewhere, just taking off fins can make it easier to handle and pack, especially if u intend to remove and keep the jaws
That’s where these fins probably came from, given they were likely dumped close to or from shore
Yeah this looks like processing for the meat to me too.
I wouldn’t be surprised if these were dumped from land or waters nearby, given they showed up together with no signs of scavenging.
Not too unusual for recreational fishers to keep the head on for the jaws in that situation either
Quite a few communities eat shark. There are some fisheries which prosecute shark for fin or viscera. But many artisanal fisheries market the meat as a product. So without forensic evidence it is possible to imagine these shark parts are quite legal albeit rather sad discards.....
But they eat the fins! The fins are most often what it taken, and carcasses re dropped back in the ocean. Feels weird that fins would be popping up.
Isn't that mostly in Asia?
Idk why anyone would eat shark. It's full of mercury and doesn't taste particularly good.
Idk, as a kid, my dads friend had a boat in CA and he would bring us back shark and my dad would cook it and I remember enjoying it very much.
It is likely that you were eating dogfish which don’t taste bad compared to reef sharks or hammerheads.
Carcharhinid shark.
I don’t care what you say…shark tastes so bad.
There is so much prep and soaking required to just get the ammonia/ urine taste out of the meat. Like…go eat literally any other fish.
This is why people tend to focus on eating the fins, versus the meat - To avoid this awful taste. This is legit just “eating it for the sake of eating it.”
Is that not just Greenland sharks?
I’ve never knowingly eaten shark, but I have seen blue shark steaks on sale in a fish market in Belfast of all places.
Every day is a school day.
Looks alot like the caudal fin of a Grey reef shark (C. amblyrhynchos) just based on how dusky and undefined the markings are along the margin of the caudal fin in comparison to other similar looking Carcharhinid sharks within the region.
Fuck whoever did that
Obscene.
Who ha ha!
Shark finless soup?
Grey reef shark
I'd thought it'd be unusual to find the fins given there's such a big market for them. Heartbreaking nonetheless
Looks like a black tip reef shark set of fins but I could be wrong
looks like a grey reef shark (C. amblyrhynchos) . the margins of the caudal are quite dusky and undefined in comparison to C. melanopterus, C. sorrah, C. limbatus and C. brevipinna which are all found in the region that OP described.
Okay damn thats a decent amount thanks for the knowledge
All dang! I thought that was L.L. Cool J’s hat for a second there.