According to a study, pet food containing sharks is being fed to cats and dogs by their owners.
Consumers are often unaware that several brands contain rare species but only vague ingredients.
The majority of pet owners are likely lovers of nature, and we think most would be alarmed to discover that they could be inadvertently contributing to the overfishing of shark populations.
The world's shark populations have declined in the past 50 years. The loss of sharks has had a negative effect on the seagrass beds and coral reefs.
The sale of shark fins has been made public. The use of shark products in everyday items such as pet food and cosmetics is a silent contributor.
The scientists tested 45 pet food products from 16 brands. Generic terms such as "fish", "ocean fish", or "white bait" were used in most products. Others didn't indicate fish at all.
Roughly a third of the samples contained shark DNA. Blue shark, silky shark and whitetip reef shark were the most frequently identified sharks. The silky shark and the whitetip reef shark are listed as vulnerable in the Red List of the International Union for Conservancy of Nature.
The Caribbean sharpnose shark, the sand tiger shark, and the sicklefin weasel shark are vulnerable species.
The authors suggest that the meat from shark carcasses could be taken, or that it could reflect a growing shark meat trade. They want people to know what they are feeding their pets and where it came from.
According to Dr Andrew Griffiths, the latest work followed research by his team and others showing the presence of shark DNA in food products for human consumption, including the sale of spiny dogfish and hammerhead shark meat in fish and chip shops.
There aren't any specific rules against including vulnerable species in pet foods.
shark meat is low in value and could be a cheap source of food. People are surprised that these things can show up on their pet's plate.
The findings are published in a journal.
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