Transnational shark trade: personal baggage and postal seizures in Australia and New Zealand

Context Sharks (Chondrichthyes) are declining globally with over one third of species threatened with extinction, largely due to anthropogenic threats including overfishing driven by the international trade of products such as fin and meat. Aims We used border seizure data from Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand (from passenger flights and unaccompanied mail) to investigate where shark products originated from and whether there were country-specific differences in the products traded through time. Methods Seizure data were collated from biosecurity and government agencies to investigate the contribution of Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand to global shark trade. Key results In Australia, shark products were more likely to originate from Asia and the total number of seized products decreased over time. In Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia was the top originating country. Both countries showed clear reductions in seizures in 2020–2021 when border closures were enforced due to COVID-19. Trophy items, such as preserved specimens, were more likely to originate from the USA while fin products originated from Hong Kong and China. Less than 1% of seizures from both countries contained species-specific information, with 14 of the 18 species seized listed on CITES Appendix II. Conclusions International trade of shark products for personal use in Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand was evident, with Australia a potential source and gateway for these products, raising concerns around the trade of endangered species. Implications Improving recorded species information is essential to enhance monitoring and support regulations on the trade of sharks and endangered species.