Shark-Eating Men 173 



an unusual situation in the usually fecund sea, for they indicate that 

 there is never a population explosion among School sharks. 



For generations, Australians hated all sharks, and certainly any preju- 

 dice against the shark there had a better basis than in most other coun- 

 tries. But when species of sharks were found that provided tasty, nu- 

 tritious, and abundant food, Australians began eating shark. Australian 

 mothers even discovered a dividend— shark meat is boneless, and can 

 be fed to small children without risk. Australia's acceptance of sharks, 

 as shark, on the dinner table is rare among so-called civilized countries, 

 however. 



Prejudice against the shark has been traced back to the Bible: "These 

 may ye eat of all that are in the waters: Whatsoever hath fins and scales 

 in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them may ye eat. . . . What- 

 soever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that is a detestable thing 

 unto you" (Leviticus 11:9-12). In the opinion of Isaac Ginsburg, zoologist 

 of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to whom this Biblical admonition 

 was submitted for a modern interpretation on ichthyological grounds, 

 sharks are not under the ban. Ginsburg points out that sharks and, 

 presumably skates and rays, have both fins and scales, though the scales, 

 in the form of denticles, are technically placoid scales, and differ 

 markedly from the usual scales found on fish. Ginsburg extends his 

 opinion to cover shark liver oil. But, whether for religious reasons or 

 not, Israel consumes but little shark. 



The followers of Mohammed are split on the shark issue. In the Per- 

 sian and Oman Gulfs, the eating of fish without scales— both sharks 

 and catfish are included— is forbidden by the dietary laws followed by 

 the Shiah Mohammedans who predominate in Iran. The Sunni Muslims 

 of the Arabian Peninsula, who consider themselves orthodox and the 

 Shiahs heretics, do eat the sharks they catch in the Persian Gulf, In the 

 Philippines, researchers of the Fish and Wildlife Service were surprised 

 to learn that Christian Filipinos rarely eat shark, but A4uslim Filipinos 

 eat shark with gusto. 



Status-building may inspire abstinence from shark. Until recent years, 

 shark was the usual ingredient of fish cakes made and sold in Hawaii. 

 Perhaps it was merely coincidental, but, as Hawaii edged toward state- 

 hood, the territory's selachian dietary habits started falling in line with 

 those of the mainland United States. Marlin and swordfish gradually took 

 the place of shark in fish cakes. The average Honolulu shark landings 

 fell off from an average of 21,000 pounds a year to 200 pounds in 1954 

 and twelve pounds in 1955. The shift in diet has touched ofi^ a marine 

 chain reaction. Sharks have begun building up in ever-increasing num- 

 bers. Federal fisheries experts predict that more and more food fish 

 will be devoured by Hawaiian sharks. This, the experts say, will result 



