Sharks off Brazilian coast test positive for cocaine
Scientists suspect that human drug consumption is a possible reason behind the sharks' positive cocaine tests.
You wouldn't consider any form of drug as shark bait, would you? But Brazilian scientists have made a concerning discovery about wild sharks off the Brazilian coast.
Thirteen Sharpnose Wild Sharks (Rhizoprionodon lalandii) that were caught in the nets of fishermen were dissected by scientists who were shocked to discover that they tested positive for cocaine.
"Previous studies have found cocaine in river, sea and sewage water, and traces of the drug have been found in other sea creatures such as shrimps." (The Guardian)
Another study revealed high levels of cocaine in marine life, such as brown mussels, oysters, and eels in Santos Bay in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. Shockingly, the cocaine concentration in the sharks was 100 times higher.
What is even more concerning is that the reason behind the high cocaine levels is a mystery.
"There are a few possibilities: one is that the drug fell in the sea during transshipment or was dumped in the sea by smugglers attempting to evade authorities. Another possible explanation is that the cocaine reached the sea in sewage discharges – and from there passed into the sharks." (The Guardian)
These are just possible reasons as to where the drugs came from.
"Another concern is that the sharpnose shark is a common part of the Brazilian diet, raising the possibility that cocaine residues could pass from the fish to humans." (The Guardian)
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