CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Research published on Wednesday out of UNC Chapel Hill shows that sharks sold at local grocery stores included endangered species, and other species considered not safe for human consumption.
The researchers hope their findings will lead to legislative action to tighten state laws around seafood labeling.
Savannah Ryburn, a recent PhD graduate from UNC who is the lead author of the study, said the issue is twofold: Some of the sharks purchased by students in the class she helped teach were mislabeled as the wrong species of shark, and, oftentimes, the shark was labeled only as “shark,” which she says is too generic…