DNA barcoding reveals endangered and protected elasmobranchs in Tanzanian fish markets
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science
Abstract
Western Indian Ocean countries have banned elasmobranch finning and enacted legislation to
of Marine Science 22(1): 57-65protect endangered elasmobranchs, however finned and morphologically deformed specimens
[doi: 10.4314/wiojms.v22i1.6]are still landed and traded on Tanzanian fish markets. Such specimens are difficult to identify
Received:morphologically, and it is possible that protected elasmobranchs are among these. This study
September 19, 2022used DNA barcoding to uncover protected elasmobranchs in 102 specimens traded on Tan-
Accepted:zanian fish markets. The sampled specimens revealed 23 elasmobranch species, 12 of which
April 04, 2023(52.1 %) were classified as endangered (EN) or critically endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List.
Published:Three of the identified species (great hammerhead Sphyrna mokarran, oceanic whitetip shark
June 16, 2023Carcharhinus longimanus, and pelagic thresher Alopias pelagicus) are protected by Tanzanian laws.
Copyright:Hence, it is advised that steps be taken to strengthen law enforcement at landing sites and fish
Owned by the journal.markets in the country. Furthermore, the Third Schedule of Fisheries (Amendment) Regula-
The articles are open accesstions of 2009 should be updated to include 11 EN and CR elasmobranchs that are not on the list.
articles distributed underAdditionally, national and regional elasmobranch conservation plans should be developed to
the terms and conditions of the
Creative Commons Attribution
(CC BY 4.0) licence.
prevent the exploitation of endangered elasmobranchs.
Description
Journal Article
Keywords
DNA barcoding, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, illegal trade, sharks rumisha@sua.ac.tzand rays, endangered elasmobranch, East Africa
Citation
Rumisha C, Simwanza RJ, Nehemia A, Mdegela RH, Kochzius M (2023) DNA barcoding reveals endangered and protected elasmobranchs in Tanzanian fish markets. Western Indian Ocean Journal Abstract Western Indian Ocean countries have banned elasmobranch finning and enacted legislation to of Marine Science 22(1): 57-65protect endangered elasmobranchs, however finned and morphologically deformed specimens [doi: 10.4314/wiojms.v22i1.6]