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FORENSIC FINS: Using DNA to Prosecute Shark Poachers

Dr. Mahmood Shivji uses DNA techniques to identify shark fins confiscated from fishermen
(The History Channel & Smithsonian Instituion)
It's illegal to hunt threatened species such as the Dusky shark, but still tens of millions of sharks are taken each year for their fins—in high demand as a delicacy in China. Inside his laboratory in Miami, Dr. Mahmood Shivji uses DNA techniques to identify shark fins confiscated from fishermen by law enforcement officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). See how Dr. Shivji provides conclusive evidence that the confiscated fins belonged to species that were illegally fished.