From Jaws to Shark Week, society’s fascination with sharks feeds a desire to know more about these predators of the deep and ensure that they are being sustainably and ethically harvested.
To that end, the latest episode of F.R.E. Lunch: The Food and Resource Economics Podcast explores the current United States Shark Fin Ban, and different ways supply and demand can be impacted to address conservation concerns.
In this episode, we are joined by Andrew Ropicki, an assistant professor in the Food and Resource Economics Department, and the marine economics extension specialist for Florida Sea Grant.
In his work, which focuses on marine resources, Ropicki spends some time looking at marine based tourism and other industries. However, the bulk of his research focuses on the seafood industry, namely the commercial fishing and aquaculture industries.
“I spend a lot of my time working with commercial fishers and fish farmers in Florida and the U.S. more broadly,” Ropicki said.
One area of interest is commercial shark fisheries. So, what is the 2022 Unites States shark fin ban?
“The 2022 ban isn’t a finning ban; it is a fin ban,” Ropicki said. “It makes it illegal to buy or sell shark fins in the U.S.”
While sharks can still be harvested, only the meat from the body, which is much less valuable, can be sold as specified by United States law.
“The idea was to take the US out of the shark fin trade,” Ropicki explains.
While a ban like this is designed to impact the supply side of the shark fin trade, Ropicki also discusses potential ways to address the demand side of the shark fin industry through consumer education efforts or eco-labeling.
In the full episode, available now, you can learn more about Ropicki’s work, the shark fishing industry in Florida, and the types of economic modeling and data used to understand fishery management and policy outcomes better.
Tune in here: https://fred.ifas.ufl.edu/fre-lunch-podcast
F.R.E. Lunch is the official podcast of the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department, showcasing how economics can help us understand and address the complex issues facing agricultural and natural resource industries. Each month, a short 15—to 20-minute episode features FRE faculty and student research presented in a bite-sized, easily digestible format that will surely bring you back for seconds.
5
