Fishing fraud in the Mediterranean

Shark vs Tuna fish - 20th July 2020

Customers in Mediterranean countries are buying a lot of shark meat. But they think it is tuna fish.

There used to be a lot of tuna fish in the Mediterranean Sea, but levels are now low. This makes the fish expensive. So fishing boats are catching sharks instead. Markets and restaurants sell shark meat, but they tell customers it’s tuna fish. Customers pay a lot of money for the cheap meat.

The University of Catania, in Italy, did a study about swordfish, which is another expensive fish. Shark meat was found in the swordfish. This is illegal and harmful because shark meat contains mercury. Mercury is a dangerous chemical when eaten. Customers are eating the chemicals, but they don’t know they are.

The shark population is falling because many sharks are now caught and they reproduce slowly. They can all die in the future.

Experts want more controls on fishing so that sharks are protected.