The effects of the swine flu upon sharks is not a direct one – these mammals are not finding themselves coming down with cases of H1N1 like humans and other land animals. However, they are being threatened in a grave way by the virus through the pharmaceutical process which requires a substance that can be obtained from the sharks’ liver.
Squalene is a key component in the H1N1 vaccine which is believed to have saved human lives worldwide through preventative efforts. It can be obtained in small amounts from olive oil, wheat germ oil and rice bran oil; though deep water shark livers are the best source.
Pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKline, which has been a major producer of the H1N1 vaccine, has refused to indicate the quantity of squalene harvested from sharks that they have used in their vaccines, but does admit it has been a source. H1N1 vaccines containing squalene oil from the livers of sharks has only been approved to date for distribution in Canada and Europe.
The killing of sharks for human survival poses a great risk to the deep water sharks. Species like the gulper shark (considered the best source of squalene) is already listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species since it is nearing extinction. These killings for squalene put these sharks at a greater risk since deep water species have low reproductive rates that further compromise their survival.
Squalene may be essential for the H1N1 vaccine, and since there’s still controversy regarding how necessary it really is for the prevention of the virus – I think it’s fair to say that we shouldn’t be compromising the survival of another species. It’s still up for debate, and controversy whether human survival should ever come before that of another living creature on earth.
Image via: Flickr User briansuda with a Creative Commons License
Humans will kill every other species of life on earth to extend their lives by 5 minutes.
It’ll take something like H1N1 to save life on earth from humanity…
agree with Dog gift. Where are the moral boundaries and laws to stop the lengths to which man will go to. this is so depressing.
Dog Gift said it. I agreed !
Typically it is the shark that isn’t likely to be in a position to lacerate or rip-off your limbs that gets hit.
Is there no cure for the temptation of money ?!!
Me, I have a domestic wind-energy system which needs manufacturing and installing in CAR numbers, and 150 quid to face the New Year with. While governments pour Billions into what ammounts to an “energy laundering” publicity stunt. Happy New Year !
Corporate greed is rearing it’s ugly head once again threatening yet again the biosphere. Animals don’t deserve to have their existence threatened for our benefit. Once their extinct, we can’t bring them back and a part of the ecological system is compromised.
One thing you can do is boycott products that threaten nature.
The simple solution is to extract squalene from rice and wheat, It isn’t like you would throw away the rice later.
The question is how many shark are killed. That answer could be gotten this week or we file a lawsuit.
Doesn’t the author have anyone they could ask about an approximation for what the amount needed?
The effects of the swine flu upon sharks is not a direct one – these mammals are not finding themselves coming down with cases of H1N1 like humans and other land animals.
Since when are sharks mammals ?
um … does your first sentence really say that sharks are mammals? I hope I just read it wrong.
Mammals?
Fyi, sharks are not mammals.
Using sharks and other rare species to research and save overpopulated destructive and invasive human beings (aka Homo doofus) is like using peregrine falcons to study and save English sparrows, or pandas to save feral cats (soory, cat people, for the metaphor).
Pharma companies dont give stats Bob. Everything is secret, and governments fully support their criminal activities. Imagine the sheer number of animals tortured for this “vaccine”. I for one will never ever touch a dirty vaccine for various reasons, but that is a whole other topic.
No animal, whether its a shark or a rat, should have to die to save or extend a human life. Diseases like this are self inflicted due to human abuse and mistreatment of domestic animals. Get rid of livestock, mass animal crowing in unsanitory conditions and factory farms, and you’ll stop these diseases. On the other hand, it’s like pay back for all humans have done to the planet, it is going to be one of these diseases that finally brings about our demise and no vaccine will stop it. Not such a bad thing.
It’s just a shame that those who don’t support industrial “farming” have to also suffer the effects.
I’m glad to see most agree that sharks should not be compromised for the sake of the H1N1 vaccine. Many, particularly those with a profit at hand still do believe human survival should come first. In this case, it is especially frustrating, when as I mentioned, there are other alternatives to get the substances needed to produce the vaccines.