García Barcia

Abstract Shark meat and fin soup are seafood commodities exported and consumed worldwide. Because sharks are large and slow-growing marine predators they tend to accumulate a large amount of mercury in the form of methylmercury. Due to this well-documented biomagnification, many nations have blanket advisories urging citizens, especially pregnant women and children, to avoid consuming shark-derived products. Mercury levels, however, may vary greatly within and among shark species.