Uh oh spaghetti oh…The sight of gummy shark products has really rattled people’s cages lately… And there’s been lots of yelly, angry keyboard bashing coming this way 🙈

I’m guessing it’s because the word ‘shark’ might be making people think we’re selling endangered animals and apex predators like the Great White or Hammerhead. For those sharks there are real and valid concerns.

However, from my perspective the use of Gummy Shark for dogs is an excellent, ethical choice and that’s why we’re selling it.

However, the spectrum of what’s ethical and not is pretty broad – so I’m just going to outline the reasons so you can make your own mind up.

Again, it’s a bit like the ‘length of a piece of string’, so I’ll stick with sustainability, by-catch issues and whether it’s an appropriate food source for dogs.

Gummy sharks are small species which are fished at sustainable levels in Australia and there are no indications that these sharks are over-fished. In human circles it’s sold as flake – but confusingly, flake is not just gummy shark, it can include some other species 🤷‍♀️

All our Gummy Shark treatos are by-products of human consumption markets – i.e. the bits that are no good in restaurants or supermarkets. This is in keeping with our nose-to-tail mentality where nothing is wasted and everything is celebrated.

Gummy Shark Sustainability

Gummy Sharks can be fished at sustainable levels because they:

🌎 Are a fast growing species.

🌎 Have a high reproductive rate.

🌎 Eat from invertebrates in the sand & mud.

However, their fishing is still managed by quota and there is a current catch limit of 1775 tonnes for the 2021 season.

Issues relating to by-catch

Commercial fishing can sometimes catch unwanted species of fish (not the type of fish the net was supposed to catch). This is known as by-catch and the main issues with gummy shark by-catch relates to Australian sea lions and School Sharks.

The previous issues relating to sea lions have largely been resolved. The areas close to sea lion colonies have been closed to gillnet fishing and boats are now monitored by video cameras.

School Shark are considered over-fished and cannot be targeted by fishers. In order to restore the population, there’s currently a rebuilding strategy underway for school shark. This includes closing pupping and nursery grounds to fishing, restricting gear and lowering the by-catch limit.

Gummy Shark for Dogs – is it an appropriate source for dogs?

As mentioned above, Gummy Shark is usually sold as ‘flake’ – and it’s commonly the fish in fish & chips. It is considered totally safe (and delicious) for both human and dog consumption.

Unlike some other sharks, there are no issues with mercury or other heavy metal accumulation. This is because Gummy Sharks are a fast growing species and heavy metals don’t have time to build up in their flesh.

Gummy Sharks are considered high protein, natural fats and in Omega 3 (with 0.141g per 100g).

The skin is extremely tough and it makes fantastic, long lasting dog chews. Our gummy shark products are all tailored towards the tougher chewer and consist of the Chewy Skin Scrolls & Shark Tails.

For quick delicious treatos, packed with plenty of goodness we also have the very popular Cartilage Crispies

So there you have it, a bit more info about Gummy Sharks…. hopefully this will help you decide which way your microwave spins on the issue of whether they’re an ethical choice for your doggo or not 😃

I’d love to know your thoughts… If there’s something I’ve missed or any other questions you’ve got, please shout out in the comments below 😀

Sources:

University of Melbourne – ‘Flake is sustainable gummy shark, except when it’s not’

Australian Fisheries Management Authority – ‘Gummy Shark’

Fish Files ‘Gummy Shark’