A possible COVID-19 vaccine relies on shark livers, and conservationists are warning it could decimate the shark population.
A British pharmaceutical company called GlaxoSmithKline currently manufactures a flu vaccine, which includes shark squalene, which is a natural oil produced in the liver. It’s known to create a strong response from the recipient’s immune system.
The company plans to produce A BILLION DOSES of a coronavirus vaccine, which would include shark squalene.
An environmental group called Shark Allies, claims a quarter-of-a-million sharks would have to be killed to produce the necessary amount of squalene for one dose per person. If 2 doses are required — which may well be the case — we’re talking half a million sharks that would be killed.
Stefanie Brendl, who runs Shark Allies, says, “Harvesting something from a wild animal is never going to be sustainable, especially if it’s a top predator that doesn’t reproduce in huge numbers.
Squalene is a coveted ingredient in cosmetics and machine oil. Estimates are that 3 million sharks are killed every year for squalene. BTW … Orca whales prey on shark livers and can almost surgically remove them. Some shark livers weigh as much as 180 lbs.