By Stephanie Costagliola, A Marine Biologist
Did you know shark oil is similar to our skin oils? Shark liver oil is known as Squalene or Squalane on the ingredient list of many cosmetic products (Vannuccini, 1999). Squalene is used in lotions, tanners, makeups, etc? Cosmetics have led to problems for species overexploitation. Consumers should switch to effective plant-based alternatives.
Unregulated Shark Cosmetic Industry
In 2019, the cosmetic industry was valued at $532 billion (Biron, 2019). Some of these cosmetic companies use shark squalene. Shark squalene is very similar to oils we have naturally and, therefore, is a desired component for the cosmetic industry. A simple search on their websites lists squalene on products such as anti-aging creams, lotions, and more. But why they use shark liver instead of the cheaper plant-alternatives and where they get the sharks from is largely unknown. It is estimated about 100 million sharks are killed every year for the commercial industry, with about 3-6 million of those sharks killed for the demand of squalene (Ducos et al., 2015).
How do Sharks in Cosmetics impact their populations?
Sharks have large livers to help with buoyancy control while swimming. This large liver contains a component called squalane or squalene. But shark fishing is widely unregulated, so how many sharks are caught is unknown or believed to be underreported (Hareide et al., 2007). The International Union for Conservation and Nature (IUCN) has compiled as much information about shark species’ populations.
A few of the most common large-livered sharks used for cosmetics are school sharks, silky sharks, and thresher sharks. The school shark, (Galeorhinus galeus) has seen a decline rate of 86-91% despite international waters protection (Walker et al., 2020). They are considered a critically endangered species due to exploitation with unknown reproduction rates (Walker et al., 2020). The silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) has declined 47-54%, even though it has some population management plans (Rigby et al., 2017). They are considered vulnerable, with a 9-12 month gestation period and 5-7 pups born each time (Rigby, et al., 2017). The thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus) has an 80% decline rate with no known protection (Rigby et al., 2019). Thresher sharks are also considered vulnerable, with similar reproduction rates as the silky shark (Rigby et al., 2019). Since these sharks have low reproduction rates and little to no legal protection from fishing, they are unable to rebound fast enough from exploitation.
Why are Sharks Important to Oceans?
Sharks play a key role in our oceans. Most large shark species like hammerheads and tiger sharks are considered apex predators, while smaller shark species such as blacktip reef sharks are mesopredators (Roff et al., 2016). Apex shark species are at the top of the food chain, creating a constant balance in the ecosystem. Large apex sharks eat mesopredators such as medium-size sharks and fish species, while those animals eat smaller fish species, and so on. This natural trophic cascade effect keeps the mesopredators from eating all the smaller fish, which then indirectly helps the coral reefs. Corals rely on small fish to eat overgrown algae, chomp at dead coral rubble to make room for new corals to grow, and provide nutrients for corals (Ogden & Lobel 1978). By eliminating apex shark species, the mesopredators now become the apex predators and have the opportunity to over reproduce since their natural predators are eliminated. But for them to maintain large population sizes, they must eat all the smaller fish. This would eventually leave the mesopredators with no food source, leading to a complete collapse of the food chain. Therefore, large apex shark species missing from an area are proven to negatively impact coral reef systems (Roff et al., 2016).
How can you help Sharks?
- Stay away from squalene. Start by checking the labels on your cosmetics. Question what an ingredient is! If you’re unsure of what an ingredient is, researching can help clear uncertainty. Start by looking for labels that say “vegan” or “plant-based”! Switching over your products to plant-based alternatives can send the cosmetic industry a message that you may not be interested in non-plant-based products.
- Encourage companies to use plant-based alternatives: The squalene found in shark livers has a very similar makeup to the squalene found in plant alternatives. Olive oils, sunflower oil, coconut oil, and sugarcane are all cheap and abundant alternative options for beauty products. Luckily, there are many plant-based alternatives that the cosmetic industry can replace shark liver with!
- Support Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and international laws. MPAs areas have proven the effects sharks play on their ecosystem when they are present. Healthy coral reef systems include the presence of both apex sharks and mesopredators. Increasing the amount of MPAs is one way to help shark populations. Another way is by supporting any international laws some countries are trying to implement. Stay away from buying shark products internationally if you are unsure of how they were fished and legally caught.
- Shop sustainable fishing. Monterey Bay Aquarium made an app called “Seafood Watch” which helps shoppers make informed choices. All you have to do as a shopper is log on to the app and enter in the type of fish you are purchasing. The app then lets the shopper know how this fish may have been caught, and how endangered the species is. It will also give alternatives to buy instead. If the species is threatened, it could limit the amount of food available for sharks to consume. Sharks can also be caught as bycatch from unsustainable fishing methods.
- Tell your friends! Many people are learning just how valuable sharks are for our oceans. But they may not know they can make a positive difference. Checking in your own home with your cosmetics and seafood can be a good start. And you can help your friends along the way.
Sharks have been around since before the first dinosaur about 400 million years ago (Shark evolution, 2018). They have proven invaluable to our oceans. For shark species to have a chance, we must help them fight for survival. There are too many alternatives that we can use instead of taking sharks from their environment. Little changes every day from everybody can add up to future hope for sharks.
Author Biography
My name is Stephanie Costagliola, and I work as a Marine Biologist at Georgia Aquarium. I am also a graduate student at Miami University studying Biology. I have a passion for sharks and love to interact every day with people on the important conservation issues shark populations face and inspire them to be a part of the change.
References
- Biron, B. (2019, July 09). Beauty has blown up to be a $532 billion industry – and analysts say that these 4 trends will make it even bigger. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/beauty-multibillion-industry-trends-future-2019-7
- Ducos, L., Guillonneau, V., Le Manach, F., & Nouvian, C. (2015). Beauty and the Beast: Shark in our Beauty Creams, 1–33.
- Hareide, N.R., J. Carlson, M. Clarke, S. Clarke, J. Ellis, S. Fordham, S. Fowler, M. Pinho, C. Raymakers, F. Serena, B. Seret, and S. Polti. (2007). European Shark Fisheries: a preliminary investigation into fisheries, conversion factors, trade products, markets and management measures. European Elasmobranch Association. 2-71.
- Ogden, J. C., & Lobel, P. S. (1978, 03). The role of herbivorous fishes and urchins in coral reef communities. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 3(1), 49-63. doi:10.1007/bf00006308
- Rigby, C.L., Barreto, R., Fernando, D., Carlson, J., Fordham, S., Francis, M.P., Herman, K., Jabado, R.W., Liu, K.M., Marshall, A., Pacoureau, N., Romanov, E., Sherley, R.B. & Winker, H. 2019. Alopias vulpinus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T39339A2900765. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T39339A2900765.en
- Rigby, C.L., Sherman, C.S., Chin, A. & Simpfendorfer, C. 2017. Carcharhinus falciformis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T39370A117721799. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T39370A117721799.en
- Roff, G., Doropoulos, C., Rogers, A., Nils, Y.C., Aurellado, E., Priest, M., Birrell, C., & Mumby, P. J. (2016). The Ecological Role of Sharks on Coral Reefs. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 31(5), 395-407.
- Shark evolution: A 450 million year timeline. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/shark-evolution-a-450-million-year-timeline.html
- Vannuccini, S. (1999). Shark utilization; marketing and trade. FAO. Fisheries Technical Paper. 1-470.
- Walker, T.I., Rigby, C.L., Pacoureau, N., Ellis, J., Kulka, D.W., Chiaramonte, G.E. & Herman, K. 2020. Galeorhinus galeus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T39352A2907336. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T39352A2907336.en
This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media
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