54 Commercial Shark Fishing in the Caribbean Area 



SECTION VI 



SHARKS AS A SOURCE OF HUMAN FOOD 



Most shark flesh if properly handled can be made into 

 tasty and wholesome food. It can be used fresh or salted. 

 Well prepared salted shark is equal in flavor and food 

 value to good-grade salt cod. As a step towards over- 

 coming the popular prejudice against it, the meat is 

 usually cut into small pieces and is marketed under some 

 trade name such as "Cuban Cod", "Victory Cod", or just 

 as "Dry-Salt Fish". 



Unfortunately, there is a great deal of prejudice 

 against eating sharks in the West Indies, but most of 

 this is due to ignorance. Shark meat is freely eaten by 

 most fishermen, and in England shark flesh finds a ready 

 market as "fish and chips." 



There are, however, other real objections. Shark meat 

 "goes off" even more quickly than fish flesh. You 

 should, therefore, never attempt to prepare shark meat 

 for human consumption unless the shark is absolutely 

 fresh. Shark meat also has a characteristic smell and 

 tends to leave a dry taste on the tongue, but both of these 

 objections can be largely removed if you prepare the 

 . shark in accordance with the following methods. 



Handling 



For human food, the shark must be absolutely fresh, 

 whether it is to be eaten fresh or as dry-salt fillets. You 

 should be careful not to bruise it, throw it about or let it 

 remain in the sun. Nor should shark meat, if it is to be 

 used as human food, be left in a metal container because 

 a r-hemical change will take place. Hammerhead Sharks, 

 very large sharks, <>r sharks feeding on sewers or abattoir 

 outlets should never be used. It is desirable, too, to avoid 

 using the "dark" meat, for while it is not unwholesome, 

 it tends to ct go off" more quickly, and it has more of the 

 charaef eristic "shark" smell and taste. There is also 

 violent prejudice against it. The dark meat, together 



