Dogfish & Other Sharks, Fresh or Chilled

Several commercially traded shark species — including oceanic whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus), scalloped and great hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini and S. mokarran), and others — are listed on CITES Appendix II. Shipments of these species require valid CITES export permits from the country of origin and are reviewed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service at import. Spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) is not currently CITES-listed but is subject to domestic US fishery management. Species-level documentation is essential for any shark import.

Spiny dogfish is primarily a food fish, historically exported to the UK and Germany for fish-and-chip and schillerlocken markets, with US imports serving specialty seafood distributors. Other shark species may be imported for their fins (subject to US shark finning regulations), meat for ethnic food markets, or cartilage for nutraceutical use. The end-use market significantly affects the documentation and regulatory pathway, and importers should ensure their supply chain complies with both US shark finning laws and any applicable CITES requirements.