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Australia is responsible for one in five shark products seized at NZ borders

Australia is responsible for one in five shark products seized at NZ borders

9 News2 days ago
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Scientists have revealed that while the amount of shark products seized at the Australian border has declined, we're not off the hook entirely when it comes to the shark trade. Research from the University of Adelaide showed that shark products entering Australia between 2009 and 2023 predominantly came from Asia. But one in five shark products – including fin products and "trophies" like preserved specimens – seized at New Zealand's borders came from Australia. One in five shark products – including fin products and preserved specimens – seized at New Zealand's borders came from Australia. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) It was the last thing University of Adelaide PhD candidate Josephine Lingard expected to uncover. "That was one of the really surprising things that we weren't expecting to see," she told 9news.com.au. Of 290 shark product seizures recorded in New Zealand over 15 years, 58 were recorded as having come from Australia, according to seizure data from biosecurity and government agencies. But there's almost no way of knowing where in Australia they came from – or whether they originated from within Australian waters. "They could be sharks being fished and their products processed and manufactured in Australia, then taken out to New Zealand," Lingard said. "Or they could be products where Australia is a stopover point on the way to New Zealand, and the bags just aren't being searched properly until they get to New Zealand." In that case, Australia could be marked as the country of origin in seizure data even if it's not where the shark products originally came from. Information taken from Australian seizure data was similarly limited. The research demonstrates flaws in current record-keeping in Australia and abroad when it comes to shark products being imported to or exported from Australia. Preserved shark specimens like this one used for zoological studies were among the shark products seized at NZ borders. (Getty) Some of the seizure records Lingard reviewed contained extremely limited information, like one which simply described a preserved shark specimen as "a shark in blue liquid". No detail was given about the shark which could be used to identify if the species is protected, or the liquid it was preserved in. In fact, less than one per cent of seizure records from Australia and New Zealand contained species-specific information. Other records contained relevant information about shark products found on passenger planes or in unaccompanied mail, but it was recorded in the wrong section. "I think there's enough of them [shark products] coming through that they [border agents] are not super surprised when they see them," Lingard said. "But we need more complete records when these products are investigated at our borders." Better documentation could contribute to additional research into Australia's role in international shark trade and help ensure that endangered and protected species aren't being fished, imported or exported illegally in Australia. Great White Sharks are among the protected species that cannot be fished in Australia. (Getty) Select shark species, like the gummy shark, can be legally fished in large parts of Australia and their meat is used to make flake, a common staple at fish and chip shops. Others are protected by government legislation but that doesn't stop them from turning up on people's plates. One 2024 study found that about 10 per cent of shark products labelled as flake in Australia were actually from threatened species. Shark products can be imported to Australia provided they meet specific import conditions. Some products require a wildlife trade permit or other approvals from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). World
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Elon Musk's big win over Australia
Elon Musk's big win over Australia

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Elon Musk's big win over Australia

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Sea ice loss risks more icebergs, threatens wildlife
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Sea ice loss risks more icebergs, threatens wildlife

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AI gives birth to fresh hope against male infertility
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The Advertiser

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AI gives birth to fresh hope against male infertility

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Mr Gross said embryologists could often spend up to six hours looking for enough of the right tiny swimmers but the technology was shown to reduce search times by 75 per cent. "We found that our reducing the time to search, we were able to get through more samples, find more sperm and give these patients a better chance at having their own biological children," he said. The technology was given early access approval for research purposes at Sydney-based Virtus Health but Mr Goss hopes it could be approved for wider use across Australia by the end of the year. About 16 per cent of couples struggle with fertility, according to Family Planning NSW, while 1 in 18 babies in Australia are born through IVF each year. NSW couple Marcela and Rowan Moon experienced infertility until tests confirmed Mr Moon's semen had no sperm because of a genetic condition. "When they told us that Rowan was infertile I thought 'oh my God I can't have a child with Rowan being the father biologically' and then they said 'no, it's not like that, we can still do it'," Ms Moon said. Mr Moon had a biopsy as a day procedure and doctors took a sample, which was then used to create embryos. The first transfer was hailed a success and the couple later welcomed son Leo. "We were so lucky to get Leo first off the bat ... I don't think we really realised the rollercoaster that it was going to be," Mr Moon said. Artificial Intelligence is could make all the difference for would-be parents undergoing IVF who are struggling with the most severe forms of male infertility. The first Australian study of new technology has led to one live birth and five pregnancies in 12 months among 35 couples who would previously be considered infertile. "These are the most difficult cases that we see at an IVF clinic, so it's very motivating to be able to help people that in a normal world, naturally would never ever be able to have their own children," IVF Australia embryologist Dale Goss told AAP. "It's great to see translation from a science project essentially a few years ago and a proof of concept into something that's delivered in the clinic and actually see a healthy baby boy born." The NeoGenix Biosciences employee presented the findings from the first AI SpermSearch clinical study to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Paris overnight. The system works by searching for the best sperm in semen samples taken from biopsies, offering embryologists another tool to select the most appropriate sperm to be used in IVF. Mr Gross said embryologists could often spend up to six hours looking for enough of the right tiny swimmers but the technology was shown to reduce search times by 75 per cent. "We found that our reducing the time to search, we were able to get through more samples, find more sperm and give these patients a better chance at having their own biological children," he said. The technology was given early access approval for research purposes at Sydney-based Virtus Health but Mr Goss hopes it could be approved for wider use across Australia by the end of the year. About 16 per cent of couples struggle with fertility, according to Family Planning NSW, while 1 in 18 babies in Australia are born through IVF each year. NSW couple Marcela and Rowan Moon experienced infertility until tests confirmed Mr Moon's semen had no sperm because of a genetic condition. "When they told us that Rowan was infertile I thought 'oh my God I can't have a child with Rowan being the father biologically' and then they said 'no, it's not like that, we can still do it'," Ms Moon said. Mr Moon had a biopsy as a day procedure and doctors took a sample, which was then used to create embryos. The first transfer was hailed a success and the couple later welcomed son Leo. "We were so lucky to get Leo first off the bat ... I don't think we really realised the rollercoaster that it was going to be," Mr Moon said. Artificial Intelligence is could make all the difference for would-be parents undergoing IVF who are struggling with the most severe forms of male infertility. The first Australian study of new technology has led to one live birth and five pregnancies in 12 months among 35 couples who would previously be considered infertile. "These are the most difficult cases that we see at an IVF clinic, so it's very motivating to be able to help people that in a normal world, naturally would never ever be able to have their own children," IVF Australia embryologist Dale Goss told AAP. "It's great to see translation from a science project essentially a few years ago and a proof of concept into something that's delivered in the clinic and actually see a healthy baby boy born." The NeoGenix Biosciences employee presented the findings from the first AI SpermSearch clinical study to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Paris overnight. The system works by searching for the best sperm in semen samples taken from biopsies, offering embryologists another tool to select the most appropriate sperm to be used in IVF. Mr Gross said embryologists could often spend up to six hours looking for enough of the right tiny swimmers but the technology was shown to reduce search times by 75 per cent. "We found that our reducing the time to search, we were able to get through more samples, find more sperm and give these patients a better chance at having their own biological children," he said. The technology was given early access approval for research purposes at Sydney-based Virtus Health but Mr Goss hopes it could be approved for wider use across Australia by the end of the year. About 16 per cent of couples struggle with fertility, according to Family Planning NSW, while 1 in 18 babies in Australia are born through IVF each year. NSW couple Marcela and Rowan Moon experienced infertility until tests confirmed Mr Moon's semen had no sperm because of a genetic condition. "When they told us that Rowan was infertile I thought 'oh my God I can't have a child with Rowan being the father biologically' and then they said 'no, it's not like that, we can still do it'," Ms Moon said. Mr Moon had a biopsy as a day procedure and doctors took a sample, which was then used to create embryos. The first transfer was hailed a success and the couple later welcomed son Leo. "We were so lucky to get Leo first off the bat ... I don't think we really realised the rollercoaster that it was going to be," Mr Moon said.

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