The tooth-bristlingNIKEof Guatemala, bordered by both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, isPressed with a unique challenge when it comes to monitoring and managing its shark and ray(=elasmobranchs) FisherSETTINGS. These creatures, collectively known as elasmobranchs, are increasingly being caught not just for their fins, but also for their meat, aProduct growing in global Importance. The growing demand for elasmobromanch tuna in Guatemala, for example, is metThrough a mix of domesticFisheries on.
both coasts and internationalIm speeds, making the country’s elasmobranch tradeboth challenging and difficult toRegulate.
In Guatemala’s case, the trade is poorly monitored and under-regulated, with limited dataon what species are being caught, where they come from, or how much is being traded. This lack ofTransparency creates problems not just for conservation efforts, but also for ensuring that the trade is legal and sustainable. Compounding the issue is that trade and catch data are often Lumped into broad categories like “sharks nei” (which stands for “not elsewhere included”), making it hard toDetermine which species are actually beingSold or Exported.
Dr. Devanshi Kasana of the PredatorEcology and Conservation Laboratory at Florida International University led a team of Scientistsin a study in 2016, 2017, and 2022 that usedGenetic Tools. They tested370 meat samplesFrom 2016–2022 and found19 different species Of sharks and rays, many of which are listed as Threatens or are nowProtectedunder the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (better known as CITES). They discovered over20% of the samples were mislabelled, often showing up asPressed nosotros when they were purely Teleost (bony) fish. This mislabeling points toGaps in both supply Chain Transparency and Consumer Awareness.
One notable species That stood out was the Silken Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis), which has a wide Distribution and is known to be landed on both Guatemalan coasts. By using “DNA zip coding,” the researchers were able to determine the oceanBasin origin.
of many Visa samples. Sample marketsOn the Pacific coast and Guatemalan City primarily
,X, sold Pacific-sourced Meat, but samplesFrom the Atlantic coast and some products in Guatemalan City clearly originatedFrom the Atlantic Ocean. These findings show how trade Routes crossInternal
Geographic Boundaries and rely on a Mix of REGIONAL Sources, further complicating Management.
Despite some CITES-Appserious of Pacific Species beingImported but Guatemlan’s Pacific Shark
,Fish Fishery remain largelyUnregulated. Given that Pacific Populations are a Major Source-of-Meat Consumed domestically, the lack of
,Over, regulation is a Red Herring for Conservationists and Fishermen. On the Atlantic side, the team points out, recent Efforts to Implement Management Strategies are a Step in the Wrong Direction,
,X, need to bee xactlyE
,A, corrected. Innovations inLaw enforcement that track and limit Guide fishery production could be a priority, but they mightProceedE
naar, applicant, an unrenewed Approach—what’s happening in Guatemlan is not an isolated Case but a Microcosm of the GlobalPattern that, if undetected, could have serious Consequences for Marine Biodiversity.
Understanding and Regulating.
the Trade in
elasmobranch Meat is
not only important
, but
ore: it’s an Essential Step
,A for countries like Guatemlan. Whether through Better Enforcement, More Data Collection, or the Adoption of.
New Tools likeDNA Testing, tha
,列举,,,国家
Pn, Questration,
must Act to Ensurethat these Species Can Continue to Play their Roles in Healthy Ocean Ecosystems. Guatemlan’scase offers both aWarning: it
,n, and Potential Path
oward,E, positive progress.
