"/ think the number one thing to say 

 about shark fishing is not to en- 

 courage people to get into it yet. It's 

 only marginally feasible now." 



— Lloyd Davidson 



classified sharks at 4,700,000 pounds. 

 ("Unclassified" is a designation that 

 excludes dogfish, because it has been 

 previously marketed.) 



In the southeast region, the value of 

 the commercial catch has increased 50 

 percent in the last three years, says 

 Slosser. 



Slosser says the key to a successful 

 shark fishery will be a strong domestic 

 market; fishermen can't rely on foreign 

 markets. But achieving a market will 

 take a lot of education, beginning with 

 the fisherman who must learn to han- 

 dle shark properly and reaching to the 

 consumer who must learn to accept an 

 underutilized species, says Slosser. 



Recently, Davidson took a break 

 from shark fishing when the market 



declined. He explains: "Fish prices in 

 general went down and people usually 

 use shark as a cheap alternative to 

 higher-priced fish. And swordfishing 

 picked up and a lot of shark is landed 

 as a byproduct of that." That put 

 more shark on the market when people 

 could get other fish for reasonable 

 prices. 



For all their doubts about the 

 viability of the shark fishery, 

 Davidson and Brady admit the picture 

 isn't all bleak. Brady says he has seen 

 more people catching sharks on charter 

 boats. Rather than killing them and 

 tossing them overboard, they're han- 

 dling them properly, taking them 

 home and eating them. 



If sport fishermen use the sharks 

 they catch, it will indirectly benefit 

 marketers like Brady. More folks will 

 find out shark is good eating and will 

 buy it. 



Inland North Carolinians are being 

 introduced to shark via the grocery 

 store. Each week, a Raleigh store sells 

 about 25 pounds of shark caught from 

 North Carolina waters at a cost of 

 $2.99 to $3.99 per pound. 



Now, Davidson is among the few 

 East Coast fishermen longlining 

 specifically for shark. His boat may be 

 tied at the dock, but he insists that 

 when the price is right, he'll be ready. 

 And other fishermen are sure to follow. 



— Nancy Davis 



Shark: a dish in good taste 



Sharks may be terrors in the ocean, but that hasn't kept 

 them from falling victim to human jaws. In England, folks 

 sink their teeth into fish 'n' chips made with shark. And for 

 centuries, Orientals have prized the fins for use in shark-fin 

 soup. 



But Americans seem more squeamish about what they 

 eat. And until recently, most of us haven't seen fit to in- 

 clude this well-known predator in our diets. But now, more 

 folks are gathering up the courage to bite into the feared 

 fish. 



And with good reason, says Joyce Taylor, UNC Sea 

 Grant's marine advisory agent at the NCSU Seafood 

 Laboratory in Morehead City. Shark is nutritious and 

 economical, and its lean, white meat has a mild flavor and a 

 firm texture. While the results aren't in yet, food 

 nutritionists say shark is like all fish — high in protein, iron 

 and niacin, and low in calories, fat and carbohydrates. 



And there are no bones about a shark. That means the 

 meat yield is higher for shark than for most other fish. Only 

 20 percent of a bony fish's weight is edible. But 42 percent 

 of a shark is edible. 



Taylor says shark meat tastes much like other fish. To 

 prove her point, she did some experimenting. She cut some 

 shark into inch-wide strips, and battered and fried the meat. 

 Then she fed it to some willing participants, without telling 

 them what they were eating. Most of her subjects identified 

 the fried fish as croaker. 



People like the taste of shark if it's been handled 

 properly, says Taylor (see story, page 3). That means 

 gutting and bleeding it as soon as it's out of the water, then 

 icing it immediately. "If it's been poorly handled, it's not 

 going to taste good and you're not ever going to buy it 

 again," says Taylor. 



If you're sold on the idea of trying shark, Taylor has some 

 tips to ensure that you'll like that first bite. She recom- 

 mends soaking shark, even if it's fresh. Soak the meat for at 

 least an hour, preferably longer, in a solution of white 

 vinegar and water (>/2 cup vinegar to 1 gallon of water); 

 lemon juice and water ( 3 A cup lemon juice to 1 gallon of 

 water); or salt and water (1 cup of salt to 1 gallon of water). 

 Taylor says any of these mixtures will help neutralize am- 

 monia that may be left in the flesh of the shark. But she 

 cautions that no amount of soaking will improve a shark 

 that wasn't handled properly when it was caught. 



Taylor buys shark in large chunks. Then she either cuts it 

 into cubes, strips or fillets, depending on how she's going to 

 cook it. For frying, cut the meat into 1-inch cubes or into 

 strips about 3 inches long and 1 inch thick. Shark, like other 

 fish, will flake when it's done. 



If we've convinced you to give shark a taste, try the 

 recipes on the next page. But don't let these limit you. 

 Taylor says shark is great broiled, kebabed, baked, 

 poached, barbecued, sauteed, or in soups and salads. 



— Nancy Davis 



