Unveiling the species in shark-based pet snack products with an overview of e-commerce trends

Abstract

Shark cartilage and whole-dried small sharks are increasingly being used in Thailand's pet snack market, raising sustainability concerns. This study examined the issues by identifying shark species in cartilage and whole-dried shark products used in pet snacks and analyzing online market trends. A total of 150 shark cartilage and 60 whole-dried shark samples were analyzed using DNA barcoding. Notably, 91 % of the cartilage products were identifiable at the species level, with eight shark species represented. The brown-banded bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum) and the Australian blackspot shark (Carcharhinus coatesi) were the most common, making up 63.2 % of samples. Of the identified species, 61.8 % are classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, and 67.7 % are from species listed in CITES Appendix II. All whole-dried sharks were Scoliodon macrorhynchos, also classified as Near Threatened and CITES-listed. Shark cartilage products dominated the market, appearing in 62–65 % of shops, compared to 35–38 % for whole-dried sharks. The findings emphasize the need to strengthen the monitoring and enforcement of CITES-listed sharks, improve traceability and transparency in the supply chain, and regulate the online market for shark-based pet snacks.